Gregor and the Lost Memories
by SamsungPony
Summary: Its been 1 year to the day since Gregor left the Underland. When in Central park he recieves a note. He must venture back to the Underland to see what has happened and to save the Regalians and his love. Debating on a sequel right now. First Fanfic R&R please.
1. Chapter 1: The Note

**Chapter 1**

It was late at night and Gregor sat, knees to his chin, on his bed. He couldn't sleep. It was just one of those nights where his mind wandered back to the Underland. Back to all his friends. Back to those that he lost when he left.

It would be one year to the date since he closed the rock in Central Park and left the underworld behind the next day and he couldn't stand it. He didn't want to be home, in the overworld. He felt like he didn't belong, like he didn't fit in. And to tell the truth he really wasn't. He still had Larry and Angelina as his only friends and everyone thought he was the weird kids. Due to all his scars he was restricted, not by himself but by his mother, to wearing long sleeves and jeans when out of the house. He had an acceptable story for the scars but his mom didn't want him making stuff up.

Being in the Overworld also made him being a rager difficult. He was known to many as a kid who wouldn't pick a fight but would stand up for others. That changed however when he came up from the underland. While he could control it some, on occasion he would lose it and get in a fight. He had been suspended twice because of it. Both times he was standing up for a weaker kid and both times it ended with him standing over a kid knocked out with a broken nose.

He looked over at his clock. 3:30. His eyes drifted over to the picture next to his clock. It was the picture of him and Luxa in the museum. He had put it in a frame so as to keep it safe. His hand involuntarily moved to the thing hanging around his neck. Ares claw hung there on a thin leather necklace.

"Gregor, are you awake", he heard someone ask from the door. He made a soft click with his tongue. He was still practicing his echolocation.

"Yea, come in Lizzie", he said as his now 9 year old sister walked into his room and sat down on his bed next to him. She sat for a minute or two just watching him. She had done this many times. She finally spoke up.

"You're thinking about them again aren't you." Gregor could only nod, his hand still clasped to ares claw. She leaned over and gave her big brother a hug which he returned without really even thinking.

"You miss them too, right Liz?" he whispered barely able to get the words out.

"Of course i do, Gregor. How could anyone forget them?" The question plagued his mind almost daily. Does she still remember me? Does she still love me? Does she want to see me? He knew his answers were all yes, but with her being so busy with her royal affairs did she have time to remember or to love him still.

"I'm gonna try to go back to sleep, Liz. You should too." She looked at him and got up. She slowly walked toward the door and looked back at her brother, who sat curled up on his bed. She knew he wouldn't be going to sleep.

* * *

The next morning Gregor tiredly swung his legs out of bed and found some clothes to throw on. He didn't really care what it was. He walked out to the kitchen and was surprised to see his father standing there. Usually he was still asleep on saturday mornings. Things were still bad financially in Gregor's home but at least his dad had become well enough to work and his mom now only worked regular work weeks. He had gotten his old job back as a science teacher. This was a relief on his mother and also, in Gregor's mind, a way to not have to go to Virginia. He dreaded having to move there and his dad's job was a good way to keep them right there in the Big Apple.

"Morning," Gregor said tiredly at his dad.

"Oh, good morning Gregor. I thought i would fix up a bit of breakfast for everyone," his dad said a bit shocked from the voice. Gregor grabbed some toast and eggs and a glass of Orange Juice and sat on the couch. He ate slowly and without talking.

"Gregor, are you feeling okay," said a new voice in the room.

"Yes, i'm feeling fine mom," he replied gloomily. He wasn't fine. He had the underland on his mind obviously, but he wasn't going to bring it up and get in an argument with his mom. At least not this early in the morning. The last time he brought it up was two weeks ago and it lead to him being grounded for a week. He didn't need that now.

"Can you go get your sisters then for me?" she asked from the table. He obliged and got up off the couch leaving his food behind. He walked into his sisters room and touched Lizzie's shoulder.

"Get up sleepy head". He walked over to Boots his 4 year old sister and scooped her up. She yawned in his ear."Gregor?"

"Hi Boots."

"Hi you."

"Lets get breakfast," he said as he put his sister down and she ran to the kitchen.

"Bacon!" Boots yelled at his dad. She had a weird infatuation with bacon along with the color purple and cockroaches. She was known as the princess to the giant roaches in the underland and ever since has always talked to the little ones around the house.

"You want bacon Margaret," his dad asked her. Margaret was her real name and he still called her it a lot more than everyone else.

"Ye-es," she replied. She was still working on her speech and for some reason yes was one of those words she struggled with. The family sat down at the table and talked about their day. His parents were going to see his Grandma at the hospital and he was hoping to spend some time with Larry and Angelina.

"Gregor would you take your sisters to the park today?" his mom asked him and his hopes dropped, but he grudgingly agreed. Lizzie and boots were still too young to go by themselves and if they wanted to go he had to go too. Maybe he could get larry and Angelina to go with them. He grabbed the phone and called them both. They both agreed to meet him at the park.

* * *

Two hours later, Gregor and his sisters were on the way to Central Park. Gregor had his hands in his pockets and was kicking along a stone as Angelina and Larry ran up to them.

"Hey guys," gregor said to them.

"Hey Gregor," they said in unison. Everyone laughed including Gregor. Even in his bad mood that day he couldn't help it. They walked on to the park just talking and joking around like any 3 13 year olds would. Gregor scooped up boots who was holding them back and they ran the rest of the way to the park.

When they got to the park Lizzie and boots started to run around doing kid stuff and Larry and Angelina looked over at Gregor. They saw distraught on his face and they both realized something was bugging their friend.

"Gregor, is something bugging you," Angelina asked tentatively. Gregor looked over at them. His mind had been lost in the endless expanse of memories he had of the underland. He shook his head, "No, I just didn't sleep well last night". They sat there for a little bit talking about school and parents and stuff.

"Let's get up and go see what the girls are doing," Gregor suggested after several moments of silence.

"OK," both Larry and Angelina replied. They jumped up and all 3 slowly walked over towards Boots and Lizzie.

* * *

"This looks like a good spot," Larry yelled to them. They were looking for a good place to sit down after playing a game of tag with Gregor's sisters. Everyone ran over and sat down. Gregor was a little behind everyone as he had also been looking for somewhere to sit. He instantly knew exactly where they were but he didn't want to make everyone move or something. They were all sitting around the rock that had an entrance to the underland under it. Gregor sat down on the rock and everyone started to laugh and joke and tell stories. Gregor more or less just listened and agreed with everything. After what seemed like hours it started to get dark.

"We should get going shouldn't we," Gregor said. It was the first time in at least an hour Gregor had said something more than 2 words in a row. All them were taken back his words. They almost forgot he was there. Everyone got up and started to walk back towards the exit to the park. Gregor was tailing a bit behind because he kept looking back. It was the closest he had been to the underland in months. He had gone down to laundry room several times but his mom had covered the grate with wood and nailed it down very good.

"Hurry up Gregor or you'll be home by Tuesday," Lizzie yelled back to him. He was snapped out of his little trance and he turned and started to move a bit faster when he heard something. He spun around. He swore he had heard the sound of a moving rock. A very big heavy rock. He squinted back and thats when he saw it. A piece of parchment was snagged under the rock to the underland and he knew how it got there.


	2. Chapter 2: Arguments

**Chapter 2**

Gregor blinked several times. He wasn't sure what he was seeing. Was there really a piece of parchment just stuck there? He knew it wasn't there before. He started towards the note. He was determined to see if it was real or just a figment of his imagination.

"Gregor, where are you going," shouted Lizzie from behind him. He realized that he probably looked stupid, so he quickly thought of an excuse for walking back and turned around and tried to give her a look that said there is something from the underland. She didn't seem to catch on.

"I lost my watch. Lizzie can you help me look for it." He quickly went over to the rock lifting it slightly and glanced under it. He saw nothing but black. He grabbed the note and read it and what he saw made him so happy but also a bit nervous.

Lizzie had wondered why her brother needed her help to find his watch but she didn't argue the fact. She ran over to him. "Larry can you watch Boots for a minute or two please," she yelled to Larry as she went. He complied and Angelina and him sat down and played with Boots

"Why do you need my help to find you watch."

"I didn't lose my watch," he said showing her his watch still on his wrist. "Then why-" Lizzie started but Gregor cut her off.

"I asked because of this," he said holding up the piece of parchment. "Where did you get that from?" Lizzie stammered trying not to raise her voice from excitement,"What's it say?" Gregor handed her the parchment.

_Warrior, we are in dire need of you._

* * *

They both looked at each other. Gregor was pumped but Lizzie looked bummed out. He knew why she did. He knew that they had to show their parents and he knew how they would act. Or at least his mom. His dad might at least consider it. It was really getting dark now as they ran back to Larry, Angelina, and Boots. Gregor scooped up Boots. "I found my watch. Must have dropped it when i got up. Thanks for watching Boots."

"No problem, but lets get going. My parents will be nervous if I don't show up soon," Angelina stated to the group. "Same here," said Larry looking nervously at his watch.

"You two get going. We'll get back to our apartment." Angelina and Larry said goodbye and both walked back to their apartment building. Gregor and Lizzie jogged back home. When they got to the door they threw it open and staggered in. Gregor was fine even though it was a good distance and Lizzie was a bit short of Breath from it. Boots struggled out of Gregor's arms and "ran" to her parents who had both ran into the kitchen when the door opened.

"What happened?" Gregor's mom asked worriedly looking at her two children standing by the door one winded and both sweaty. Gregor just threw the note down on the counter. He was happy, but he knew his parents would be very displeased with what it said. His dad picked it up and read it first. Then his mom read it. When they both read it they looked at each other, shocked, and then looked back to Gregor.

"Where did you get this from? Is this some sick joke?" Gregor's dad asked them handing the note back to Gregor. He already knew the answer but he wanted to make sure. " It is not a joke dad. I found it under the rock in central park that leads to the underland." Gregor stated as he put the note in his pocket.

"Well, I don't know what to say to this," his dad said but before Gregor could speak up his mom woke up from her stupor.

"YOU WILL NOT BE GOING BACK THERE!" his mom yelled furiously. She very much hated the place and by now had had enough of hearing about it. Lizzie scurried off to her room, scared from how loud her mom had yelled at Gregor.

"But mom-, Gregor tried to speak.

"Enough, Gregor. I have said no so many times i have lost track." Gregor looked at his dad hoping he might have a different opinion. Hid dads face said it all. Gregor screamed into his hands.

"Mom they need me. My friends-." His mom interrupted again.

"These so called friends of yours can figure their issues out without you. You may have been this warrior but now you are just Gregor. My son will not go down and get himself killed."

"I won't get killed. I didn't anyother time and I won't this time," Gregor said with confidence. "Oh, But there will NOT be a next time!" his mom's voice was shrill and sounded more like a hiss.

"Gregor you must understand why we do this. This is not as punishment for something you did. We do this because we love you and want you safe. You can not go." It took a second for his dad's words to sink in.

"Fine," Gregor spit venomously at his parents. He turned from them in disgust. He couldn't look at them in the face. He sat on the couch in their crowded apartment and just let all of his emotions he had stored up inside him for the last year pour out. He felt the tears before he realized it and could hold them back. He didn't want to cry in front of his parents.

"Gregor-," his mom started before Gregor turned and with anger he hadn't felt since he thought he had lost boots and Luxa while searching for the Bane and screamed at his mom. "Don't try to console me! You don't know what its like to lose all your friends you made over a year behind! You don't know what it feels like to leave behind a place you love! A place you belong!" and he added under his breath ,"And someone you love."

With that he got up and stalked off to his room with his mom in tears and his dad screaming at him to come back and apologize to his didn't care because he had a plan. If he couldn't convince them to let him go then he would sneak out if he had to.

* * *

He laid down in bed planning. "What do I need for this?" he thought. Flashlight, a bag, maybe a knife. He grabbed all these things from around his small room. He threw it all down by his door and gently sat back onto his bed. He sat and listened to his mom's sobs and his dad's calming voice trying to get her to go to bed. They must have been there for hours. He was so amped he couldn't sleep.

He checked his clock. 2:00 am. One hour more hour and he would be leaving. He picked three o'clock hoping that everyone would be soundly asleep. His parents hadn't finally fallen asleep until 1:30. He got up and reached over towards the clock grabbing the framed picture of him and Luxa. He brushed a bit of dust off of it and just sat and stared at it. "I'll be back and i will be there to help with whatever you need. I won't leave you guys ever again."

When the clock read 2:55 he grabbed the bag and his flashlight, slipped on his shoes and tiptoed out his room. He was trying to make as little noise as possible. He was doing good until he made a noise when he stepped on one of Boots toys. It was a stupid dog that talked when squeezed. It barked out, "I love Boots." His mom had programed it to say that thinking it was cute.

He swore under his breath hoping nobody was coming. He listened for any noise. One of parents rolled over in their bed and Lizzie muttered something. After a minute with no true response to the dogs outburst he slinked through the kitchen to the door. He reached for the handle and as his hand grabbed it the light snapped on.

"Where do you think you're going?" his dad's voice rang through the kitchen. "Damn," Gregor said under his breath. He turned to his dad who was standing in his pajamas with his mom behind him. Lizzie walked in rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked ," Someone talking loud woke me up."

"That was me baby. I'm sorry, but Gregor was just about to tell us what was going on,"his dad said the last words in a stern parently way.

"I was trying to sneak out to go back to the underland," he replied in the most blunt voice he could manage. "Why would you do that?" his mom asked from behind his father. Her voice was barely audible, whether from fright or from tiredness Gregor could not tell.

"You know why mom. I have friends down there that need my help. They need me and I need them." His mom looked at him stunned from the last three words he uttered. "Sit on the couch, now." It was not an option. She commanded him to do it and she almost never forced him to do things like that. He knew he was in big trouble now.

"What do you mean you need them? Is this why you seem depressed all the time and why you are always tired?" He nodded. He thought it was obvious but I guess his mom didn't see it that way. "What about it makes you so depressed?" She inquired. Gregor sat and thought about how he would answer. He hadn't really thought about this before. Was it missing all of his friends? Mareth, Vikus, Howard, Hazard, Dulcet, Aurora, Nike, and... Luxa. He knew exactly how to get out of this without getting in trouble.

"Well there is one person that i really miss. They are very important to me." He had never told his parents how he felt for Luxa and now he would. He would have to for a least a chance to ever see her again. " Who?" his dad commanded.

Gregor took a deep breath and looking his parents straight in the eyes he said, "Luxa. I love her so much. She is what is making me lonely. She is why i sit up at night without sleep. I can't stop thinking about her." His mom gasped and collapsed in a chair, but his dad just smiled put a hand on his shoulder and said," I should have seen this coming. I watched you two the last time I was there and you guys were with each other so much. If it means this much to you you have my permission to go. You can see Luxa again."

Gregor was shocked. His mom was even more shocked. "No, he will not. I don't care if he loves he or not. He will not be going." Gregor's dad jumped in before Gregor could. "Grace, if it was me i would be doing the same thing. If you had known i was down there would you have not come for me? Would you have sat here and just let me be down there when you knew you had the chance to see me? Especially if you knew i might be in danger." His mom sat and thought about this. She thought and thought and it seemed like hours were passing. When she finally answered her voice was just a squeak. "If it was you I would go to find you because of how much i love and missed you. Gregor you can go if you truly love and miss her this much."

Gregor sat bolt upright, jumped to his feet and gave both his parents a huge hug. He was so excited. "Gregor, we will discuss this more in the morning. Please go back to sleep, " his dad said. Gregor was so happy that he didn't care he had to go back to his room. He was so ]excited he didn't even change out of the clothes he was wearing to sneak out in. He just clambered into bed but instead of going to sleep he sat there with his knees to his chin, his eyes closed, thinking. He was thinking about her, about seeing her violet eyes and hearing her snarky comments. He thought about hugging her and spending time with her. He grabbed his photo and gave it a great hug. "I'm coming, Luxa. I love you and I'm coming," he whispered before putting the picture on the floor and laying down on his bed. He tried to sleep but sleep would not come. He was anxious for the morning. He wanted to know when he would be going, when he would see all of them again.

* * *

**Well I posted the first two chapters on the same day but i don't know when ill have the third one done. The first two kinds flowed out nicely and now i'm working on the basic plat development for the next chapters. Anyway thanks for reading and a review of what you think and how it can be improved would be nice.**

**-SamsungPony**


	3. Chapter 3: Goodbyes

**Here is chapter 3. I had a bunch of ideas come to my mind when i was sleeping so i wrote it. I said it might take me a while for this one, but i actually split this chapter in half in my mind. The other half will become chapter 4. So I guess all I can say is enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

In the limited amount of hours Gregor slept, his dreams were full of thoughts of the underland. They were restless, nearing nightmare state on occasion. He tossed and turned, and was covered in cold sweat. He awoke many times panting from what he saw and remembered. The dreams were flooded by images of the Bane, of Ares dying, of the carnage on the Plain of Tartarus, but he kept falling back asleep. He knew he needed rest or else he would have zero energy the next day.

After the third time he awoke and fell back asleep he had the worst nightmare he had had in quite awhile. He was riding on Aurora with Luxa and he was having the time of his life. They were laughing and joking, just having a good time. Luxa was hugging him. He was hugging her back and he was enjoying themselves. They were flying all over the underland from the waterway to over Regalia. They were having a great time.

As time wore on though, the scenery changed from that of the river around Regalia to that of flying over the Plain of Tartarus. Luxa's attitude changed from joy to aggression and anger. She screamed at Gregor, " Why do you let my people die? You are the Warrior. You should be down there fighting. You betrayed me." She pushed Gregor from Aurora just like that he fell. He kept falling, screaming, "Ares! Ares, please! I need you. ARESSSS!" He was nearing the ground, he could see it coming. He whispered, "Please."

* * *

"Gregor! Gregor. Wake up." He awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and panting. Lizzie was sitting at the end of his bed and his mom was was right next to him. Her face said it all. She was scared. "What happened mom? You look scared."

"You were screaming. Screaming about someone named Ares," she said in a soothing voice. He wasn't just screaming in his dream, but he also screamed in real life. He had never screamed from a dream. "It was just a nightmare mom. Just a nightmare." He wasn't sure why he didn't tell his mom about Ares and why he was screaming. Probably because she might change her mind about him going down to the underland.

"Are you sure you're okay?" his mom asked. She really wanted to make sure nothing was bothering her son. "I'm fine mom. I really am." Was he though?

"Ok, Gregor. Go back to sleep." He laid back down but he couldn't sleep. He was deep in thought. That was the first falling dream he had had since losing Ares. Even after the full year out of the underland, and a full year after losing Ares he hadn't dreamt of falling. He had been safe knowing if he fell there would always be someone there to catch him. Perhaps he found himself safe knowing that he had other fliers down below that still liked him, that would save him no matter what.

But then why did he have this dream? Why would it prop up tonight? Why would Luxa of all people push him to his death? He had no answers to anything that was going through his head. No answers at all.

After about an hour he dozed off. He had no dreams the rest of the night. At least no dreams that he remembered.

The next time he awoke it was morning. He climbed out of bed and left his tiny room, to find his entire family sitting at the table. He wasn't sure what was going on but he sat down anyway. He had only expected his parents to be there to talk to him. His dad had said they would discuss his leaving them that morning. "So what's going on guys?" he asked his family tentatively. He didn't know what kind of reaction to expect.

"Well considering you're leaving today we needed to discuss goodbyes," his dad said, "and we all have requests for you."

"What kind of requests dad?" He figured they would be things like stay safe and don't become a problem for people. You know things a parent would tell their kids. "Me and your mom have decided you can go back and we know you want to say. You don't even have to tell us that. Due to that though, Gregor, we want you to come back and visit and if permitted bring Luxa with you." Gregor was surprised. He only had thought about going back he hadn't considered staying. Well, he had thought of living there before. He felt more at home there. He felt he belonged. "Of course i'll visit dad. And if i can i'll bring Luxa with me as often as possible."

Next up was Lizzie, "Gregor, I want you to take care of Ripred for me, and most of all just stay safe." Of course she would ask him to take of a rat who would most likely be looking after Gregor. Laughing Gregor replied, "Of course i'll look after that old rat Liz.. I won't let anything happen to him." Boots only had one thing to say. "Gregor, me want to see Temp!" Of course she wanted to see her crawler friend. "Well, Princess when you four come down to visit me I'll make sure you'll see them."

"When we come down?" his mom squeaked out. "You don't expect me to do all of the visiting do you." Gregor laughed, "And we all know that they would love to see all of you again." His dad clapped his son on the back and went to the kitchen. He brought out a plate full of pancakes and told the family to eat. The family each took some pancakes and put them on their plates. They ate silently. The only sound that was made was that of scraping forks and knifes.

Gregor felt he needed to say goodbye to Larry and Angelina. He needed to say goodbye to Mrs. Cormaci. But how would he say goodbye to Larry and Angelina? How would he explain to them why he was leaving and where he was going? He made his mind up to say goodbye to Mrs. Cormaci first. Maybe she would have some advice. He walked down to her apartment and knocked on the door.

"Good Morning, Gregor. What are you doing here?" she asked him. He figured he would just say why he was there and not beat around the bush. "I'm going back Mrs. Cormaci. I'm going down to the Underland." She looked at him like he was kidding, but when he just smiled back she knew he wasn't. She gave him a big hug and ran to her fridge. She came back holding a bag of food. "Leftover scalloped potatoes, Gregor. Bring them to the rat." Gregor nodded took, took the bag, and gave her a hug. She returned the hug. For quite awhile Gregor had been her errand boy and her helper. She had always treated him well. She would miss him.

"Before I go can ask you for some advice?" Gregor asked. "Of course, my dear." Gregor took a deep breath and he started to explain his situation. "Well, i have to say goodbye to my friends when I go back, but I've never told them about it. I want to but I'm not sure I should."

"Gregor, if they are your friends then they should have the right to know. I personally would tell them because secrets destroy friendships. But I have a feeling that you can figure out what to do," she said choosing her words carefully. "Thank you Mrs. Cormaci," he said and left knowing exactly what he wanted to do.

When Gregor got back to his apartment he walked in and was surprised by what he saw. Waiting in the kitchen watching the door were Larry and Angelina. "Your mom gave me and Larry a call and told us that you were leaving and to come over. She wouldn't tell us where you were going or why. I guess she left that to you, Gregor." Gregor looked at his mom and she just nodded. He took that as a way of saying go ahead and tell them. He knew now that he had to. He couldn't keep this major part of his life from his friends anymore.

"You guys might want to sit. I have a LOT to tell you. About where i'm going and why I need to." Once Larry and Angelina Grego began. He started at the beginning. He told them about falling through the grate in laundry room after Boots. He told them about Regalia and all the people that lived there. He told them about his Journeys from the Prophecy of Gray to the Prophecy of time. He told them about his injuries and his friends those alive and those he lost. He choked when he brought up Ares, tears flooding his eyes at the memory. And finally he told them about Luxa.

After he had finished the story, Angelina also was crying and Larry just looked skeptical. "I want to believe you but where is the proof?" Larry asked concern across his face. Gregor replied with a simple action. He pulled his long sleeve shirt off. Both Larry and Angelina gasped at the sight. Gregor's scars shown pearly white against his rather tan skin. He felt them. He remembered everything that caused them. He felt the pain again and he cringed a little. He pulled his shirt back on covering them up from his friends and the rest of the world. When he spoke his voice was just above a whisper and was cold as ice, sharp as steel, "Proof enough." Both Larry and Angelina nodded rapidly.

Gregor walked over to his friends and grasped them in a hug. He was going to miss them. When they grasped the back of his shirt like they didn't want to let go he knew they would miss him as much if not more. He walked them to the door of his apartment building. He watched them walk away waving goodbye. All he had left to do is say goodbye to his family and he would be good to go.

The plan was for Gregor to leave after him and his family had eaten dinner. Dinner that night was a solemn occasion. There was not much talking, let alone laughter. Everyones minds were in different places. Gregor's was focused on the underland. Focused on what was happening and how his friends were. His parents didn't try to pull him out of his thoughts. They let him wonder. They let him think.

Soon the time came for everyone to say goodbye. First he scooped up little Boots. "I'm gonna miss you baby girl," he said to his youngest sister. "Say hi to Temp for me?" Boots asked. Gregor nodded his head. Lizzie came next and she wrapped her arms around her big brother. Gregor didn't know what to say but he just looked Lizzie in the eyes and smiled. She got the message and just hugged him tighter tears streaming down her cheeks. She finally pulled away allowing Gregor to say goodbye to his parents. They both wrapped him in hugs and his mom plastered his face in kisses. "You be safe you hear me. And make sure you write once in awhile. OK?" Gregor nodded and kissed his mom wet cheek. Him and his dad approached the door and Gregor turned and waved to his family. He was leaving them for now but he would see them again. He knew he would

Gregor and his dad walked quickly and quietly to Central Park. Everything they wanted to say to each other was either stated in the apartment or could be read from their faces. Gregor would miss his dad. As they neared the entrance to the underland Gregors dad stopped, looked Gregor dead in the eyes and asked, "Are you 100% positive you want to go back?" Gregors response was short and sweet. "Yes, dad. I love you."

He rolled the rock back revealing the staircase below. "Goodbye, dad," he said as he stepped down. His dad just nodded finally letting the tears flow from his eyes. His dad rolled closed the rock and left Gregor in darkness.

* * *

**So if you enjoyed tell me and write a review. Any criticisms or comments that can improve this are welcome. I'm not sure how good this chapter was but i don't like it as much as the previous ones.**


	4. Chapter 4: Back at Last

**So as I was writing this chapter I realized why I'm doing it. This I guess is my way of coping with my own emotional mess. More of this mess will come out in the next few chapters but they start here.**

**I also want to thank AssassinAuthor for some good feedback that I tried to use when I was editing this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Gregor turned his attention to the cold, stone staircase. It was pitch black; there was not a source of light underground. Gregor reached down into his bag for his flashlight before he remembered one skill that had been pounded into his head. He withdrew his hand from his bag and made a soft click with his tongue. A picture formed before him. It was blurry but he saw what he needed to see. He ran down the stairs two at a time, continuing his clicking every few seconds, super excited for where he was going.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and took off down the tunnel. He relaxed his use of echolocation a little. What was he gonna run into? He was running at full speed, his own running abilities coming out from years of track. After about 200 feet he sensed something nearby and started to slow, but before he could stop fully he tripped over a huge furry object. THWACK! Gregor slammed into the floor and slid several feet before stopping.

"Look at the mighty Warrior sprawled out on the floor," said a sarcastic, rasping voice. Only one creature on the entire planet would make a comment like that. "Hello there, Ripred," Gregor stammered getting to his feet, catching his breath.

"Long time hasn't it been. I've been waiting here for you here since the note was left. Wasn't sure you were coming." Ripred said. Gregor thought about how he was gonna respond but Ripred just continued. "Have you not been practicing your echolocation? You should have seen me just laying there." Gregor shook his head. Practice was not something he had time for, but he still used it; it just wasn't as clear or precise as previously. Remembering what miss Cormaci had given him, he reached in the bag and threw it to Reipred.

"What is this?" Ripred asked looking at the object. "Scalloped potatoes from Mrs. Cormaci." Ripred assumed they were safe to eat and shoved the whole package in his mouth.

"Now that that is over, how am I getting to Regalia, Ripred? I'm not going with you am I." Gregor said the last part in mock horror. Toying with Ripred was always fun. Ripred just snarled back impatiently, "You have a flier waiting for you." And with that ripred sauntered off to do whatever the old rat had to do. Gregor took off at a run again and finally, within a minute or two, reached the drop down. He jumped. As he fell he pulled his body into a comfortable landing position and within seconds he was scooped up by a furry object. He clicked again and saw the striped fur of one of his favorite bats.

"Hey, Nike." Nike purred back, "Hello, Overlander. How have you fared?" Gregor talked about his past year in the overland. He mentioned missing everyone and having to control his rager side. He told her about his two fights in school. She chided him for them. "Gregor, you be careful. You must control your rager side or someone might be hurt." He just shook his head and continued explaining his year in the overland. Nike did not interject anymore than needed, only asking a question for clarification and occasionally laughing at something Gregor had done. Before Gregor knew it they were coming up on the palace.

"I didn't get to ask how things are down here," Gregor said blatantly. "You will see soon enough, Overlander." Nike purred softly, coasting into the High hall and landing. Gregor climbed off and thanked Nike, turning his attention to the three underlanders standing but 10 feet away from him. He saw them and his smiling face only smiled bigger. He was back where he belonged.

Before he knew what hit him he was swept into a rib crushing, lung depressing bear hug. This tradition was one Gregor did not necessarily like but he didn't hate it either. He tried to return the hug as best he could. Mareth finally released him and Gregor finally got a good look at him. He looked basically the same, maybe with a few more lines around his eyes and mouth. He also walked a bit better with his prosthetic leg. Still his balance and steadiness were not on point, but he was moving better and faster then when Gregor left. "It is good to see you back," Mareth said. "Its better to just be back," Gregor said, receiving a slight chuckle from Mareth.

The next person that approached was Howard. The friendly doctor in training stuck his hand out and Gregor shook it with earnest. He liked Howard, for he was a nice guy and he was always there on quests with Gregor. Gregor could trust him with his life and he had many times already. "How have you been," Gregor asked. Howard looked tired. More tired than usual. "I have been well." is all Howard said. Howard was sometimes short on words, especially when angry or tired.

Gregor himself approached the other man that was there. "Hello, Vikus," Gregor said giving the old man a gentle, caring hug. Vikus looked older than before. He was losing his silver hair, with many patchy bald spots. The right side of his body sagged a little. The stroke he had definitely did a number on him. Vikus' face showed immense tiredness, but still maintained the conviction of the elderly man. When he talked his words were a bit hard to produce but he managed. "It is an honor to have you back with us, Warrior."

"Well, looks like I missed all the hellos, then." Everyone turned toward the lift that carried citizens and others without a flier up to the high hall. Stepping off was Good ole Ripred. "Told you i would see you at the palace, boy," Ripred said to Gregor. Ripred walked over to Vikus and the two friends walked off out of the high hall deep in conversation. Howard walked over to Nike and the two started to converse. This left Gregor and Mareth together. "I will show you to your chambers." The two fell into step. It wasn't long before Gregor reached his old quarters. He had stayed in this same room the past times he had come to the underland.

The bed was still the same. It felt the same when he sat on it. It looked the same when he stared at it. The room felt like home to him. "You may go bathe now, if you wish. When you are done we would be pleased if you would return to the high hall. There is much to talk about," Mareth told Gregor. Gregor nodded and headed towards the bath. He knew exactly where to go. The halls to the bath obviously didn't change and Gregor remembered where to go within a few minutes.

Entering he found a nice pair of clothes waiting for him. He grabbed them up, feeling how soft they were, and walked into the baths. He took off his overland clothes throwing them to the side. He didn't really mind what they did to his clothes. The underland clothes were superior in everyway. He eased his body down into the warm bath and let the water run over his body. It felt rejuvenating and he felt his body fill with energy. He submerged himself several times and then rubbed himself down, trying to remove as much overland smell from his body as he could.

When he was satisfied with his bath he climbed out, grabbing himself one of the soft, spider woven towels to dry off with. The memory of the first time he used these towels came back to him. He smiled at the thought, continuing to dry himself. Once dry, he reached for the underland clothes they had supplied him. The silken clothes fit him nice. They were not baggy nor were they skin tight. His shirt was white and short sleeves, revealing his scarred arms. The pants were long like normal. He felt comfortable. The straw sandals hadn't changed one bit from his other excursions down here and his feet slipped right into them.

Mareth had asked him to go back to the high hall for some reason, so he did as asked. He was walking along one of the many halls when he encountered Nerissa, walking the same way as him, just up ahead. Gregor approached her making sure she knew he was there. She stopped and turned. "Hello, Gregor. It is nice to see you again." Gregor smiled. He liked Nerissa even if she may have seemed insane at times. Her supposed gift to see visions was treated in many different ways. Some thought she was crazy and others thought she truly was gifted. He was about half and half. "Where are you headed?" Gregor asked. "To the high hall. I believe you are as well." Gregor nodded and offered her his arm. She looped hers through his and the two walked to the high hall together.

As the two neared the high hall, Gregor saw someone standing on the balcony looking out over the city. "Mareth!" Gregor called. Mareth jumped, instinctively reaching to his waist for his sword, his hand grasping the hilt. He registered it was Gregor and Nerissa and relaxed. He smiled and walked over to the two.

"We must go to the war room, now. Nerissa where is it you are headed?" Mareth asked. "I was requested in the war room as well." He nodded, slightly surprised, and the three walked over to a room Gregor had been in before. There was a large table with a large map on it. The map was of the Underland, and it had flags and troop indicators all over it which was strange for a time of peace . Gregor took his place around the table as a man started to talk. "It is good that we can now start. I would like everyone to see we have the Warrior back with us." With that the room cheered and applauded before the man who had talked before silenced them with a raise of the hand. Before he could speak again, however, Mareth spoke up.

"Claudius, the Warrior has not been informed of our current situation." The man named Claudius took a deep breath and spoke. "Warrior, we have called you back to aid us. When you left we were in a time of peace, but now we are at war again." Gregor's voice came to him faster than he wanted it to. "What?" he seemed to shout around the room.

"Yes, we are at war. This time though with a different enemy." Gregor again interrupted him. "Is it the cutters," and this time trying to be polite added, "sir?"

"No, Warrior. We are at war with the spinners. After the War of Time, the spinners became more demanding. Land was asked for from us. We did not oblige. They eventually declared war upon us." Gregor was stunned. The spinners, he thought, were neutral. Sitting there he nodded several times. The war council continued. They discussed battle plans, troop movements, and other war stuff Gregor didn't understand and probably never would. Strategy was not his forte. "I'm more like the heavy artillery," he thought slightly chuckling

Gregor came back to the meeting just in time for the most important matter. "The final aspect we cover today is our negotiations with the spinners. We have an envoy going to meet with the queen. Warrior, we ask you to go as protection for those who go." Gregor nodded and asked, "Who is going on this journey?" Claudius replied,"You, Mareth, Howard, Ripred, Queen Luxa,..." Gregor blanked on the rest of the names. He hadn't seen Luxa the whole time he was there. He would make it his number one goal to find her once he left this room. "The journey will take place in two days time. Everyone who is going prepare ahead of time. The meeting is dismissed. You may all go about your business."

Gregor scurried out of the room under the stares of the underlanders inside. Once he exited he looked around for Luxa. She was not in the hall. He wandered around for a little bit. He checked the prophecy room, the museum, and even the hospital incase she was injured. She hadn't been in the meeting so maybe she was ill. Howard was in the hospital though so he asked him if he knew where Luxa was. "Luxa is probably in the her royal chambers, but-." Gregor had taken off at a sprint back up through the castle. "I'm so stupid," Gregor thought, "Why wouldn't she be in her royal chambers." He knew he wouldn't be allowed inside without a royal family member, but he had to try anyway. He skidded into the hallway and was meet by two guards. The guards were very familiar. It was Horacio and Marcus, his old personal guards.

"Hey, Horatio. Marcus." They just nodded their heads. He tried to walk down the hall but was stopped by Horatio. Horatio stepped in front of the hallway. "I just want to see the Queen." Gregor said, "She knows me" Horatio did not move. Gregor spun around in frustration. He marched back to the High Hall and he sank down onto a couch there. Why hadn't he seen her in the castle? Was something wrong with her?

"Gregor!" someone screamed his name from behind him. He jumped up expecting Mareth or Howard to be coming to get him to do something. Howard had been trying to tell him something else when he left. Instead who he saw made him happy and sad though, as memories flooded his brain. Hazard was running towards him. "Hey, Hazard. How have you been?" Hazard slid to a stop and gave Gregor a hug. Fregor never pictured Hazard as the hugging type because he grew up in the Jungle with his dad. The good thing was, with Hazard being Luxa's younger cousin and someone who lived with her would know what was going on.

"I have been very well, Gregor. Is Lizzie still doing well." Of course hazard would ask about Lizzie. She was a year older than him but he figured Hazard liked her. "Lizzie is doing even better than me at the current moment." Hazard laughed, for some reason, his jet black hair swaying as he did. Hazard was different from the rest of the Underlanders because his mom was an overlander. This gave him the translucent skin of an underlander but with the the hair and eyes of an overlander.

"That sounds wonderful," Hazard said ,"Horatio told me you were trying to get into the royal chambers. You wanted to see me, right." Gregor couldn't help but laugh. Hazard must have been around Ripred to much. "Of course I wanted to see you. And Luxa as well." When Gregor said Luxa's name Hazards smile faded a bit. He beckoned Gregor to follow him. "Of course I can take you to see her. I hope she be happy to see you." They walked silently through the royal chambers.

The two found her sitting alone on a couch in her sitting room, a scroll opened in her hands. She looked up as she heard the footsteps of the two. She smiled at Hazard and returned to her scroll. Once Gregor sat down on the other couch facing her he took in her beauty. Her hair was long, down to her middle back, but she had it in an intricate braid. Her gold band of cown sat on the top of her head. Her violet eyes were as beautiful as ever. She was in great shape as always and wore a flowing pale blue gown.

"Hey, Luxa," Gregor stated hoping she wasn't mad at him for some reason. She glanced up from her scroll and looked at him. When she spoke her voice was cold and cut through him.

"Who are you?"

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**If you are still enjoying this I have one thing to say. TELL ME! Put it in the reviews. Tell me what you think of the ending as my devious plot takes off.**

**-SamsungPony**


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

**I realized writing on Sunday is not my thing, so I went and wrote it today. The first hints of the T rating show themselves in this chapter with some descriptions and language. I hope the chapter turns out well as I spent my time trying to convey Gregor's emotions.**

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**Chapter 5**

The words scoured into Gregor like a hot knife. They hit him like a gale force wind, knocking him back onto the couch. His heart ached as his worst fear came to light right before his own two eyes. She had forgotten him. Somehow he had slipped from her mind and she did not know who he was. Gregor did not know what to do or say. Her face was stoic. She showed no sign of caring. No sign of compassion.

He looked over to Hazard. The look on his face was not of shock or disbelief, but of pain and agony. He felt for Gregor somehow. The two locked eyes and Hazard only shook his head. Hazard had no words for him. Gregor did not speak and neither did Luxa. The room was silent for a while. No one said a word yet it was not awkward at all. The silence carried no emotion.

Gregor felt he had to break it sometime and he could only hope what he said could help. "Luxa, it's me, Gregor." He pleaded with her to remember hoping, just hoping that maybe his name would in some way make her remember. She sat there for a moment. Her face seemed to show her thoughts. It showed contemplation and maybe some remembrance. When she spoke though it was worse than the first time.

"I do not who you are or why you are here. If you have no business here, please leave." Gregor jumped to his feet trying to keep the tears from falling. Hazard put a hand out to comfort him, but Gregor swatted it away. He did not know why, but he wanted to be alone. He needed no one. Nobody could comfort him now. He sprinted from the room , ripping the door open in front of him and slamming it on the way out. The sound reverberated around the hall, making Gregor's footsteps unheard. He rushed out of the Royal Chambers, past Horatio and Marcus who didn't try to stop him. That was not there job. He ran past servants who only looked at him with utter bewilderment. People were in every hall and every room. He had no clue where he was going.

Gregor finally found somewhere where he could be alone. There in a secluded corridor, slouched against the wall he let all the pain, all the rage, and all the other various emotions out. The scream left his mouth before he realized it had. It was deep, guttural, and rage inducing. It carried through the halls. He had no clue that his body could produce a sound so frightening to himself, that he became more furious and on top of that, more scared. He was scared of himself. He did not what was happening to him. Bawling like a baby all through the palace, screaming for no reason other than to scream, and trembling in a furious rage that radiated out of him. He was living a nightmare of many.

No one entered the hall.

The next two things he did he would regret later but he did it anyway. Turning and facing the cold stone wall, Gregor pulled his head back looking deep into the gray stone. Obviously, all he saw was gray stone and that seemed to make his rage boost up another notch or two. Gregor swung his head back and drove it into the wall in a ferocious head butt. He regretted it right after, for he collapsed to the floor. His head screamed in agony and he was positive he blacked out, whether it be for a minute or an hour he had no clue. When he finally sat up, though, he was still furious with himself. In his continued stupidity, Gregor punched the wall over and over alternating between left and right. It was mindless, but his rage was leaving him, only leaving him with pain. Both mental and physical. The last swing was with his left hand and as it made collision he knew he had made his second mistake. The bones of his knuckles crunched in a rather gruesome manner. The sound was sickening. The pain was excruciating, worse than his head, but nothing could lessen the pain in his heart. The wall had blood on it from the many punches. He collapsed into a sitting position.

Gregor had to look at his hand and when he did he regretted it. There seemed to be nothing holding his fingers to the other bones in his hand. They hung limply from his hand. The skin was gone and he could see some of the broken bones breaking through the red, raw flesh, if they weren't already crushed. Blood ran down around his hand. It was a disturbing image to see.

He tried to move his fingers and keeled over in pain. Gregor took one last look at the bloody pulp that was his hand, and vomited. "Shit," he murmured before passing out from exhaustion and pain.

When Gregor woke up he did not open his eyes. His head pulsed and ached. He reached up with his left hand to place it on his head, and pain shot through his arm. He let out an audible groan of pain and discomfort.

"It is good to see you are finally awake," said a comforting voice from beside his bed. Gregor raised his body off the bed and looked over at the speaker. Vikus was sitting in a chair not far from him. The light hurt Gregor's head worse and he closed his eyes, grimacing. Vikus seemed to understand, as he put out all but one torch in the room. "Thanks, Vikus. How long was I out?"

"You were asleep for about 5 hours. Several people have come to see how you be." Gregor hoped Luxa hadn't come. He did not want to be around her much right now, especially after what she had said to him. There was a ruffling at the curtain into his room and Howard stepped in, wearing his doctor robes.

"Ah, it is good to see that he is awake. Vikus do you think you can leave us for a moment. I would like to talk to Gregor. Alone." Vikus nodded and walked from the room, leaving doctor and patient alone. Howard went back to work, looking at Gregor's hand and head before giving him some pain meds and sitting down into the chair Vikus had vacated mere minutes before. "Gregor what did you do to cause the wounds? There was no trace of a struggle when I found you unconscious in the hall."

Gregor was ashamed of his answer before he said it, "I did it myself." Howard looked disappointed but not shocked. There was care in his eyes as well as concern. Howard could not see why Gregor would break his own hand or give himself a minor concussion. "Why, Gregor, would you hurt yourself? What would come of it?"

Again, Gregor felt ahamed. He was better than why he had done it. He had more control than that, but he answered Howard honestly. "I did it because I was in pain, enraged, sad, and confused." He added the last part sheepishly when Howard gave him another confused look. "Luxa doesn't remember me." Understanding clicked in Howard's eyes and he suddenly went from concerned doctor to concerned friend.

"No one told you, Gregor, but-" Howard tried to start an explanation but Gregor cut him off. "No one told me what? Did something happen to Luxa?" Now Gregor was scared, not for himself, but for Luxa.

"Actually yes, something did happen. You can ask questions after I finish." Gregor nodded and Howard continued. "It was about two months ago when it happened. Luxa had been a wreck the months before. She missed you terribly. She rarely left her chambers except for meetings and meals. Hazard was the only one she would talk to. When she would cry he was the only one to be able to calm her. There was nothing anyone could do. After about 9 months she started to come out more. She went back to training. She started to talk to people and we thought she was getting better. Getting over you.

"Then during a training session an accident occurred. It was a day for spars. The winner of our little contest always gets to spar with Ripred just to see how long they can manage. Luxa was determined to get to Ripred, just to see how long she might be able to do. She was doing marvelously. During one of her spars, however, a general named Calypso took a heavy swing at her. She deflected it with ease but the deflected blade slammed into the side of her head." Gregor let out a gasp of horror at this. "She passed out and was unconscious for 2 days time. The wound was not bad. When she awoke she did not know her bearings. She did not know me or any other doctors. She only remembered some people and that she was the Queen. She still knows how to use a sword, but has no sense of military control. She is not allowed into meetings until her memory returns." Howard finished the story looking at Gregor pleading for a response.

Gregor had no words at first. He swallowed hard, feeling stupid for doing everything he did before now that he had the truth. "Have you guys tried anything to get her memory back?" he whispered out the words barely audible to howard. "Of course we have, but nothing we try has worked. Hazard thought when she saw you she might suddenly get her memory back. I did not, but I guess he brought you to her anyway. You were supposed to see her tomorrow at training."

The word supposed jumped out at Gregor. He wasn't going to miss training. That was something Gregor needed. He hadn't held a sword, let alone use one in a year. This was something that he could not go without if he was to be leaving. "Howard, I'm going to training tomorrow."

Howard's head instantly started to shake. "You can not go to training. You can barely walk with your head and your hand is broken in many places." Gregor looked at him with a death stare. A stare that caused Howard to realize he would not be winning this argument. Gregor realizing this stood up from the bed and was able to stand steady and walk around the room to Howard's amazement. "I'm going to training, Howard, whether you want me to or not. I have to go to protect the negotiators on the journey to the spinners. I need to sharpen my skills. May I be dismissed back to my room." Howard knowing defeat nodded his head and left Gregor alone.

Gregor changed into a new pair of clothes with some difficulty. Having one broken hand did not help this at all. He struggled to pull his shirt on when there was another ruffling at the curtain. "You may enter," Gregor stammered. He expected Howard or Vikus bringing backup to tell him he could not go to training because, but instead a head with jet black hair popped around the curtain. "Hello, Hazard."

"Hi, Gregor. Do you need some help?" Gregor was standing there with his shirt on backwards with his head through an arm hole. He was probably looking like the biggest idiot in the world. Finally admitting defeat he nodded and Hazard helped him sort out his shirt problems, laughing the whole time. Gregor realizing the comedy of the situation chuckled a little as the 8 year old stepped back from his work. Gregor was now finally dressed. "Would you walk with me back to my room, Hazard?" Hazard responded quickly. "I would be honored to."

The two walked out of the room and Gregor thought of his words carefully, not wanting to hurt Hazard's feelings. Gregor stopped and Hazard had to walk back a little bit, as he hadn't noticed Gregor stop. "What's on your mind, Gregor?" Hazard asked seeing something bothering Gregor. "Why didn't you tell me or at least warn me?" The words were calm but had a strength behind them. They were supported by determination. The words weren't specific but he understood all the same. "I hoped you might fix her and make her remember. I did not know she would act that way. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry for hope. Why didn't you tell me though after?" Gregor knew the answer already. "You ran out of there so fast I had no clue where you were going. I would have followed but Luxa told me not to. She does not trust you." The last five words dug into Gregor's heart even more than hearing she did not know him. Trust was something you worked for with Luxa. She did not trust easy and It took him a year to earn it. He was not going to wait a year again. "We need to find a way to get her memory back Hazard. Any ideas?" Hazard saw the grin on Gregor's face. There was determination in his eyes, but behind that was the caring eyes he always saw Gregor have. "My idea was you. It's your turn." The two sat there whispering ideas for a while and they came up with one. They just had to hope it would work.

It was nearing the midnight hour in the Underland. There were far less people in the halls and many more Guards and patrols. Gregor was with Hazard though so nothing would happen, not that he planned on getting in trouble. Hazard had already gotten what Gregor needed for his plan. He hoped this one item would do what he himself could not. Soon, the two were waiting right outside the royal chambers.

"Are you sure you want to try this, Gregor?" He nodded so subtly almost no one would be able to have noticed his head move at all if they weren't looking right at it. They had to try something and anything could do the job. Hazard took a deep breath and walked down the hall towards the large doors to Luxa's chambers. He knocked and he heard from behind the door the stern tone of her voice. "Who is there?"

"It is just me and I have a visitor." was all Hazard needed to say before her tone softened and she told them to enter. The two walked in. Luxa still looked amazing, only now her hair was out of her braid and sprawled down her back. Her eyes looked tired and she was wearing a pure white, tight fitting nightgown. She looked at the two. staring at Gregor intently as he walked in. Gregor was not sure why. Maybe to size him up or maybe she thought he looked good. Both boys dropped on the couch in front of her. She stood up and asked Gregor, "What do you want to disturb me at this time of night?" Taking a deep breath he stood up and reached into his pocket. From within he pulled out a picture and handed it to her.

She looked at the picture, something dawning on her face. She looked between the picture and Gregor's face. Maybe she was remembering. Gregor started to smile a little. Finally words left her mouth. They were somewhat a mix of her usual tones. Sharp as steel but with hint of happiness. "Is this you in this depiction?"

"Indeed it is." She again looked at the picture. "I don't know how this is possible as I have never seen you before. With that she tore the picture in half and let the pieces fall. The last thing Gregor could think of had failed him. He looked down at the two halves. The once happy picture of them dancing had been destroyed. Gregor started to get mad again. He felt his rager side taking over. He had to control himself but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He grabbed Luxa's arm harder than he wanted to tears sliding down his cheeks spinning her around to face him. "Luxa, please remember, please. It's me, Gregor." She shook him off of her and called the guards to escort him out. He left before the guards even arrived. He had no need for an escort.

He walked back to his room. His heart had fallen like the picture. It was split in half, pieces just floating around in his chest. Dropping to his bed he didn't cry, he didn't make a sound. There was no energy left in his body to even let out a whimper. Silence filled the room until his quiet breathing. Sleep had finally fallen over Gregor the Overlander.

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**I hope I did a good job at conveying his emotions. And I hope the chapter was acceptable to you guys. I'm digging deeper into the plot of it. Anyway Review please.**

**-SamsungPony**


	6. Chapter 6: Training

**And here we are at chapter 6. Even though i'm posting about everyday, i really am spending my time on these. I'm thinking about the story about 20 hours of the day and I spend about 5 hours writing and 2 editing. That may not seem a lot but to me it is. Anyway here is the next chapter. After this there will be a ****more action. Any who enjoy this chapter which is just plot advancement.**

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**Chapter 6**

Gregor awoke with a start. His hand was throbbing. That's what happens when you sleep on a broken hand Gregor thought. He had no clue what time it was, but there was no way he was gonna sleep again with the combined pain of his hand and the dreams he was having. The images of his last dream were fresh in his mind. Luxa pushing him away, leaving him for someone else, him screaming his love for her. Slipping out of bed he went to change.

The dresser in his room was full of underland clothes of all colors and types. Considering he was gonna be training that day he went for light tight fitting clothes. He grabbed a white, tight fitting sleeveless shirt out of the top drawer. It felt and acted like an under armour shirt. It was light and felt cool on his skin. Getting it on was much easier without sleeves.

He also found some pants of a similar type, but lucky him they weren't tight fitting. His day would be ruined if he was walking around in tights. Looking in the mirror, he was pleased with what he saw. He was in pretty good shape. Actually, very good shape. His arms were muscular for a 13 year old and he had a flat stomach and chest. Having been grounded a lot all he could do was workout. Pushups and situps along with whatever else he could manage to do in his room was a good start, but he had also started to lift weights at school. His legs were lean but strong. Perfect for running one of his favorite activities. The only blemish was the bruise on his head and the bandage on his hand.

He left his room and started wandering the halls. He wasn't sure where he was going or what his purpose was. Maybe he would go for a run. "Yea, a run sounds perfect," thought Gregor aloud. A sound from behind him made him jump. He swung around, hand moving towards his hip instinctively. "Awake are we now," said Ripred rounding the corner and walking to him and stopping next to Gregor. "You say something about a run?" Gregor looked at Ripred and nodded. "Yea I figured I would go out for a run. Loosen up for training and what not." Ripred let out a harsh laugh. "What's so funny?" He was snickering so much he could barely talk. He finally stopped enough to talk. "Training you say. Do you know the time boy?" Gregor shook his head. "It would be about 4 a.m. in the overland. Training doesn't start for 3 hours."

Gregor felt defeated. He still wanted to run but it was too early. Way too early. Running might wake up people and that wouldn't work well. "Why are you up Ripred?" The question caught Ripred. Actually, he was probably in the same boat as would not come to him. Recently, Ripred hadn't been sleeping. "That doesn't concern you, boy. I'll see you later. We have one of our special training sessions," he sneered at Gregor and slinked away. Gregor shrugged his shoulders and continued on his way. No way in hell he wanted to get the old rat angry.

Walking the halls so much, Gregor eventually found himself walking past the armory. He had walked right past it before he realized where he was. He back tracked and looked inside to see if anyone was there. To his good fortune there was not a single soul in the room and no guards in the hall. He had passed a few on his walks, but they hadn't stopped him. They had no reason.

Gregor walked into the armory and he felt at home. The number of weapons and armors were astonishing. There were weapons beyond swords that he had never seen an overlander wield. Maces, waraxes, battle hammers, halberds, spears, long swords, and various short swords all lined the walls and racks in front of him. Gregor walked down the rows looking at each weapon wondering if it had been used and by who. Sometimes something would catch his eye and he would remember its location so he could go back and look at it.

After he looked through all of them 3 swords had stood out to him. The maces were too heavy and the axes to flamboyant. He had eyes on a straight sword, a curved sword, and a special broadsword. The straight sword had a heavy, thin blade. He could swing it easy and it was very nice. It was not special only having a basic handle and a small hand guard on the end. The curved sword was special. There was no way that he would use it though. It was uncomfortable to him. The broadsword though, it felt perfect in his hands. It was never hard to swing and it cut through the air audibly. It was what Gregor was looking for. It also had a gemmed handguard with a bat's head carved from gold right under the blade. Gregor grabbed the sword and found its sheath not far from it.

He decided he would get going and when he turned to leave he was surprised to see people standing near the door. Miravet and Mareth were standing there smiling at him. "I went to wake you for breakfast before training and you were not there. A few guards gave me your general location and I made my mind up you were here. Miravet joined me when I gave her my thoughts," Mareth stated quite happily. He then looked at Gregor's hip and saw the sword there. "May I see what you have chosen?"

Gregor drew the sword and in one fluid movement he spun the handle towards Mareth, getting the blade to rest on his arm. Mareth took the sword and felt its weight. He then noticed the handle and smiled. "Very nice choice, Gregor. Do you know what this sword is for?" Gregor raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He was intrigued that the sword he chose had special meaning. Miravet took over now. "The sword was made when Luxa's father was coronated king. It was intended for his first born son. He never had one though. I'm sure he would be honored for you to wield it." Mareth handed the sword back to Gregor who sheathed it instantly. "Let us go eat and get ready for training," Gregor said and lead the way from the room.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Gregor sat with Mareth, Luxa, Hazard, Vikus, Ripred, and Howard. Hazard had lessons with his many language teachers, along with history lessons with Vikus. Nobody wanted to talk and Luxa kept giving Gregor a stare of annoyance. "Why is he eating with us?" she thought. "He is just an overlander who has probably never wielded a sword in his life." Gregor sensed the stare and spoke up. "When can we get to training. I need to touch up my skills. And how am I getting to the arena?" Luxa looked at him in disgust, but did not speak. Vikus spoke up though. "You may leave anytime you wish, Gregor. We also have arranged for a flier to meet you in the High Hall. He should be there now." Gregor stood and bowed to the table. Before he left though Howard and Mareth also stood with him. "We shall go together then."

The three men walked from the room into the High Hall. "Did you see her staring at me? She hates me so much right now," Gregor stated mad. Howard and Mareth exchanged looks, but did not answer. Gregor was about to ask again when he saw the fliers in the hall. Nike sat there waiting for Howard and Andromeda sat waiting for Mareth. Waiting for Gregor though was the biggest bat he had seen yet. Its fur was a dark red with yellow accents around it body. Gregor greeted Nike and Andromeda and approached the bat. "Hello, I'm Gregor," he said. The bat looked at him and purred out, "I am Hades. I was Ares cousin and he was one of my best friends." With these words Gregor's hand shot up to the claw around his neck and he closed his eyes. The memories still hurt, but he got over it quick. "It is nice to meet you Hades. May we be off to the arena." The bat lowered itself for Gregor to mount and once he situated all three bats and their riders flew off to the arena.

The arena was already packed with soldiers training in drills. There was a section in the back that the bats flew to and landed. It was empty and was private away from the soldiers. Ripred came running into the arena at this moment and a golden bat flew in as well. Off of Aurora Luxa jumped doing several backflips before landing next to Howard. "Still a show off," Gregor muttered under his breath, but Ripred heard him. He fell back in laughter at what Gregor said. Gregor and Luxa both rolled their eyes. "Shall we get started then?" Mareth asked.

He put everyone through the paces. It was easy work for Gregor and Luxa, and howard only had an issue once in awhile. They were all accomplished fighters. Ripred just lounged back watching. Gregor had barely broken a sweat during the warm up and light drills. He was still in shape and was still very good with a sword. Luxa had watched him during drills. The praise he got was deserved she thought.

They had just stopped some more difficult drills but Gregor was not as drenched in sweat as Howard or Luxa. These drills were a small challenge for him but seemed much more difficult for the others. During their break Gregor spouted out a suggestion. "Blood balls anyone?" Gregor asked with only one thought in his head. He was in a mood for showing off in front of Luxa. She wouldn't recall the last time he did it so it would surely shock her. "If you wish, Gregor . We can all use the practice." Mareth said the last words in Luxa's direction. She had scoffed at the idea. Mareth lead them over to the cannons set up in a semi circle. Several soldiers were using them, but when they arrived they moved out of the way, respecting their leaders and superiors. The soldier whose turn it was did not fare well. He hit 5 of the 15 balls as they flew out.

"Howard, you may go first," Mareth said. Howard jumped in front of the cannons and they fired. His sword moved through the air slicing the balls as they came. After the 3 seconds time it took, 11 shells sat in the grass. He kicked them to the side and Luxa stepped up. "Nice job, Howard," Gregor said slapping him on the back. The cannons fired again and Luxa sliced through them, her sword just a blur. When she was finished 12 shells sat at her feet. Better than he had ever seen Luxa do. He was proud of her. She walked back head high. "Beat that, Overlander." Confidence dripped from her voice. Gregor walked up and everyone got quiet. Everyone stopped their drills to watch. "Oh, I will."

The cannons fired and everything slowed around him. He had kicked on his rager side. All he saw was the blood balls flying towards him. His sword moved out of instinct and sliced through them. The stick red substance covered his clothes, the sword, and the ground. After the time he looked down. He hadn't missed a single one, exactly how he knew he could do. He turned wiped his sword on the ground sheathed it and looked at Luxa. Her face was better than imagined. She stood there slacked jawed hands hanging loosely at her side. "How... did you do... that? No human... has ever...done it." she stammered out. "Your majesty, only one human has ever done it and it was Gregor, the Warrior of prophecy. That was the second time he did so," Mareth told her flat out. Gregor loved Mareth. She huffed and stalked off, fuming.

"Good job, boy. Did you just do that to make her mad?" said Ripred from behind him. "Of course I did. I knew I was gonna hit them all. And I love seeing her mad." Ripred did as close as he could to a shrug, sighing and beckoned Gregor to follow. "You seem to be able to control your rager side. Much better than you used to at least. But now it is time to see how your echolocation holds up."

They were back in there cavern under the castle. First, Ripred wanted to see how well Gregor could still manage with his echolocation. All gregor had to do was maintain his steady breath and he was able to see the majority of the cavern. It curved a little bit on the left so he could not see around that bend. Ripred had asked him to describe certain areas of the cavern which Gregor did without a problem. "You seem to have maintained some things I taught you. Now can you still fight with it. You must corner me and pin me before we can leave." And with that Ripred disappeared in the cavern. Gregor let out soft clicks. He spotted Ripred on his right. When he turned and clicked again Ripred was now on his left. How in the world the rat was capable of moving so fast Gregor did not know, but he kept trying. Ripred was basically circling him waiting for Gregor to slip up ,so Gregor clicked and moved to exactly where he knew Ripred would be. He let out a flying kick and hit Ripred in the stomach. Ripred looked at Gregor and flicked his tail up. To both Ripred and Gregor's surprise Gregor caught Ripred's tail. Stunned and shocked at what he had done Gregor stopped moving. Ripred took his chance and smacked Gregor over the head with his paw.

"Pay attention, boy. You can't stop like that on the battlefield. Again." Ripred barked the command at him. Gregor stood and repeated. He got Ripred in a corner, but he slid away. He trapped him against the wall, but Ripred fought out. After several vain attempts Gregor was bruised and cut and his hand ached worse than ever. He needed some pain meds. Last time he had them was a breakfast. Ripred's tail caught Gregor across the stomach as he thought, and he flew off his feet landing against the wall. "We are done here today. You are losing focus and you can't learn without focus." He snarled as he left the room.

Gregor stood up and walked after him catching his breath. He went straight to the dining room hoping for others to be there as well. He was happy to see he found Howard and Luxa waiting. "It is good to see you, Gregor. Did you just finish with Ripred?" Gregor nodded and took his seat beside Howard. "Howard do you have meds for my hand with you? My hand is killing me." Howard nodded and reached in his medical bag he carried with him everywhere. He handed Gregor a bottle. "Take a small sip and it should keep the pain away for awhile." Gregor did as instructed a swallowed a small amount. The pain left his hand almost immediately

. They were brought out a meal of beef and mushrooms, a leafy green, several other vegetables, and some shrimp and cream sauce. Ripred walked in the room and took a seat pulling the shrimp to himself before anyone else could reach for it. "What? Can't an old rat eat what he wants?" With that he shoved his face in the pan and ate away.

The meal was delicious. Afterwards Gregor and Howard sat and talked about the journey tomorrow. Gregor found out that they were traveling to the Spinner lands to meet with the new Queen. After only being gone a year a new Queen, Queen Verex, was crowned. They trip would be only a day there and a day back. It was a very simple plan. Gregor dismissed himself and went to take a bath. He was dirty and smelled atrociously bad.

He went to the bath near his room and stripped. The water was warm and refreshing, relaxing his tired muscles. The time seemed to fly by. It seemed like hours he sat there thinking. The trip would be easy with minimal fighting. The spinners were for open negotiations and hopefully peace could be made. Gregor himself was only there as a guard of sorts. He would not be actively negotiating. That jobbed belonged to Luxa, Vikus, and Ripred. Gregor would be the guard along with Mareth, Perdita, Marcus, and Horatio.

Finally feeling clean and his thoughts straight, Gregor climbed out of the bath. He threw on clean clothes that a servant left for him, leaving the bath and wandering back to his rooms. On his way he ran into Nerissa. They had this bad habit of running into each other after he had bathed. "Hello, Nerissa. Where are you headed?" Nerissa smiled at Gregor. She really liked him. "I am just going back to my chambers. I am tired." Gregor walked over to her and held out his arm to her. He walked with her back to her chambers. As they arrived at her chambers. "Are you ready for tomorrow,Gregor?"

"Of course. I'm prepared to do anything I have to do." She looked at him and spoke again. "The group will be in danger tomorrow. You will be attacked by the spinners and I do not know the outcome." Gregor nodded. He knew he could trust them. "Do not tell the others though. It might change the negotiations and that might not been good," she said. Gregor nodded again. He left her there at her door. Thoughts running through his head.

This would never do. He had to protect everyone. But most of all he must Protect Luxa. As he got back to his room, his mind was racing. What could happen to cause the spinners to attack them? He laid down on his bed and didn't talk. All he could do was think. And think he did. His thoughts were on the spinners. They were on how they would attack and had no answers and fell into a restless sleep.

He awoke the next morning, feeling uneasy. Quickly dressing in a black long sleeve tunic and black long pants and strapping on his sword belt , he scampered from his room up to the dining area. At the table before him were Vikus, Howard, and Perdita. "Good Morning," Gregor said before taking a seat and grabbing some toast from a plate. "Where is everyone else?"

"Everyone has already eaten. You are the last one up here," Vikus told him calmly. "I'm not late, am I?" Howard chuckled. "Far from it. We were all early. No one wants to wait." Gregor ate a little bit more before departing to the High Hall with the others. Waiting for them was everyone else and their bonds. Luxa and Aurora, Mareth and Andromeda, Howard went to Nike, Vikus to Euripides, and Horatio and Marcus were standing with equally solemn bats. Ripred was standing next a bat about the size of Ares only a deep purple fur. Perdita went to her stunningly pink bat and stroked her fur. This just left Gregor who saw who he was going with.

He walked over to Hades and Greeted him. "It is good to see you again, Warrior." Gregor waited while everyone went about their greetings. He did not feel like talking much. Finally he whispered to Hades, "What is the name of Perdita's bond?"

"Aphrodite." What a fitting name for the color Gregor thought. When everyone climbed onto their fliers Gregor did the same. It was time for a journey. A journey that Gregor knew would not end well. All he could do was hope that he could protect everyone. And hope he did as Hades took off.

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**Did you enjoy it? I thought this one was well written and covered a lot of stuff. Do you agree? I'm not sure I'm gonna write the next chapter til I get at least one review for it. I just want your feedback on how it's going in your mind and where you think it's going to go. Post anything you want whether positive or negative. Anything will help me. **

**So on that note i will take my leave.**

**-SamsungPony**


	7. Chapter 7: Negotiations?

**Well I am back again for my next update. I think this is my favorite chapter I've written. I worked on flow and stuff in this chapter to keep it from being terribly choppy.**

**Several people mentioned the fact that Horatio and Marcus died in CoC. Yea and I forgot about that. Screw it though they are staying.**

**I thank everyone who left reviews. They are helpful and boost my confidence as a person and as a writer.**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

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**Chapter 7**

Gregor rested on Hades back, looking down on Regalia from 300 feet in the air. The people ambling along the streets at the early hours of the day, had an anxiousness to them. Some of them waved at the departing party while others didn't even look up at the sound of beating wings. Gregor drank in the site below him. The city looked nearly identical as when he left. The buildings all looked the same. Stores till lined the streets. The fields were full of crops; the farmers working in the wee hours of the morning. Everything looked peaceful.

That changed when they flew closer to the wall of the city. The massive construction standing at three stories tall and several meters thick was damaged and scarred. Pieces were missing, chunks of stone ripped off from all sides, thrown to random places near the base to stand as reminders of war. Gregor could not tell if this was from the War of Time or from recent Spinner attacks. It didn't really matter to him though. All the wall showed was the pain of war that constantly sat on the shoulders of the citizens of Regalia. The pain of losing loved ones. The pain of watching others die for them. It was a terrible thought and not one that he really wanted in his mind at that moment.

The wall and the light of Regalia slowly shrank away as the party flew on into the darkness of the Underland. Gregor was able to see all around him courtesy of echolocation. The caverns ceiling was maybe 50 feet above them and the walls were at least a mile away in each direction. Gregor clicked in the direction they were flying. Along the base of the cavern wall in front of them was a massive tunnel . A tunnel wide enough for the fliers to fly three abreast and still have plenty of room for their wings. As they entered the tunnel several underlanders lit torches so they could see in case of attack. They took on a formation as well.

Hades and Gregor fell into the middle row of the group, with Howard and Nike on his left and Perdita and Aphrodite on his right. Gregor didn't complain until he looked behind him. Behind him flew Horatio and Marcus with their bats. The two men were watching Gregor's every movement. In front of him Luxa was talking with Vikus and Ripred and Mareth lead the group as the front guard.

"Hey Howard," Gregor said to his left ,"Why are those two watching me so intently?" Howard looked behind him and saw Horatio and Marcus watching Gregor. Howard looked concerned. He sat thinking for awhile before speaking again. "Luxa insisted they come as they are her guards now. Perhaps she ordered them to watch you, but that is only an assumption." Gregor didn't respond. It felt just like when he was here before. The two brutes followed him everywhere, watching him, not letting him out of their sight. Gregor let out a sigh. This was going to be a long journey.

"Are you tired, Overlander?" Hades asked Gregor after he had let out an involuntary yawn. He was bored as not many people were talking. The little talking was coming from the in front of him. Whether it was Luxa and Vikus talking about how they wanted to negotiate or Mareth and Ripred talking about Military positions, it all bored Gregor.

"No, Hades, I'm just bored." Then something came to Gregor. Something Hades had told him. He was related to Ares and Ares was his best friend. "How well did you know Ares?" Gregor asked. "I knew Ares very well when well when we were young. He was a rebel. A troublemaker, but he never had bad intentions to his actions. I was always there with him though. It was enjoyable. And then he came and took Ares as a bond and I stayed back. No one came to bond with me. When they told Queen Athena you were coming back, I volunteered right away. I greatly wanted to meet you, the warrior and Ares bond." Gregor felt bad for Hades. He lost his friend when Henry bonded with Ares. And then nobody ever bonded with him. Gregor sat silent. He didn't know what to talk about with Hades and nobody else really seemed in the mood for talking.

After 10 hours of flying the fliers needed a break. Their pace had slowed significantly from the long flight. Ripred signaled for everyone to land next to a stream below them. Everyone came into land and the riders jumped off their respected flier. The nine bats hopped and skipped into a little group where they fell asleep immediately, tired from the long flight. They would only need a few hours of sleep before they would be able to manage the last few hours to the spinners kingdom.

"We are but a short distance from spinner land. We shall post a watch. Horatio and Marcus can do it," Ripred said as the two soldiers grabbed their weapons and sat on either side of the camp, watching intently. The group started a fire and cooked up a small meal for everyone. Mareth and Gregor sat by the fire while Perdita and Ripred spoke of Spinner land and Luxa slept off to the side with Vikus and Howard conversing in quiet voices. "Why did Luxa insist on bringing those two? There is plenty of protection without them." Gregor wanted someone elses opinion on this other than Howard's. "I asked her the same question before we left. I told her two ragers would easily keep us safe, but she did not care. To her it is very simple. She does not trust you still." Gregor let out an audible moan of misery and buried his head into his good hand. He couldn't actually feel his other hand. Howard made sure of that. During the trip he gave Gregor enough pain meds to last several days.

Mareth patted Gregor on the back. He knew his friend was mad, sad, and had a volatile concoction of emotions flooding his system. He had known since the quest for the Bane that Gregor had feelings for Luxa. The way Gregor was acting proved to him that he was right. Nobody but someone in love would act like this. Mareth's eyes fell on Perdita. Mareth had like her forever. Her figure was perfect. She was a kind person until you put her on a battlefield. Her face showed compassion and anger. A face of a general. She turned and saw Mareth staring and her face softened into a small smile. He knew she had a soft spot for him, but he never acted on it. Standing unsteadily on his prosthetic he walked over to join her conversation with Ripred.

Gregor sat alone head in his hand, not speaking to anyone. He didn't want to talk to people. His heart felt crushed again. He couldn't even think about anything. It was as if his body shut itself down in him. The only sense of his that was still working was his hearing. He heard the conversations around him. He heard Luxa's light breathing from across the camp. And he heard a scratching sound to his left.

He jumped to his feet and turned to look down the tunnel to his left. He was hearing things. There was no way he was hearing what he heard. Ripred looked at Gregor surprised the kid had moved. Then he too heard the sound. A rapid scratching coming from down the tunnel. "You hear that, Gregor?" Gregor nodded, still listening intently. "What do you think it is, Ripred?" Before Ripred could answer several gnawers ran out of the tunnel. Gregor drew his sword and behind him the sound of steel on leather told him everyone else had too. Gregor started forward but Ripred grabbed his shoulder. "Let them state their business. Remember we are trying to bring peace," he whispered it so softly only Gregor heard. They held back and the gnawers ran up to the camp. They were not in good shape. Several of them had wounds and others were carrying injured. "Attacked... Spinners... twelve dead... down tunnel..." one rat said before passing out with pure exhaustion and blood loss from a deep cut on his right leg.

Everybody looked down the tunnel and didn't move. They were waiting. Waiting for the spinners to rush out at them. None came. Howard went to work on the injured, stitching wounds, giving out meds for pain. He worked efficiently and before too long all the rats sat resting. Gregor and Ripred watched the tunnel, listening for any sound of the Spinners. Gregor was thinking. Why would they attack gnawers? Did they want an all out war against the underland?

He was tense now waiting for a fight. A chance to slice something in half or remove a limb or two. The time would come soon, but why not practice now. The rest of the group was also on edge. They had their hands wrapped around the hilts of swords and the rats were in attack mode, their keen senses on alert. This lasted for another hour before the bats were rested enough to fly again.

Ripred held a quick conversation with the group of surviving rats. He spoke in the gnawers language of squeaks of different pitches. The rats took off away from the party back the way the party had come. "Sent them to the rats around Regalia. It's better than being right next to spinner land."

Everyone mounted their bat and got back into the same position as last time. Mareth and Ripred took off followed by Luxa and Vikus, then Gregor, Howard, and Perdita and finally Horatio and Marcus. Gregor knew the trip was only a few hours longer. He took this chance to get some sleep. He had been awake for about 16 hours now. "Hades, I'm gonna take a quick nap. Wake me before we land, please." Hades nodded. Gregor laid down on Hades back curled up and fell asleep.

"Overlander, we are here." Gregor sat up and stretched. He had slept peacefully enough. He had no violent dreams of butchering creature. He had no dreams of Luxa. Nothing that would wake him in his sleep. "Thanks, I feel refreshed." In front of the group stood a ledge that was about 100 feet from the cavern floor. The ledge was large, enough room for all the fliers to land and room left for a quick camp area if needed. The ledge lead to a tunnel covered in webs. He knew they were in spinner land, but the amount of webs was surprising. And on top of that, the tunnel must go directly to the queen. How fitting isn't it? They are able to get right up next to the Queen.

"We shall all sleep for a few hours before we enter. Who will take first watch?" Vikus asked as the group stood by. "I'll do it, Vikus. I slept on the way here." Vikus nodded and everyone went about setting up to sleep. They unrolled sleeping bags, removed weapons from their sides, and laid down to sleep. Gregor sat facing the tunnel wide awake. There was no chance he would fall asleep. Nerissa never said when the attack would come just that one would. It could come before Luxa meets with the Queen or it could come after or during the meeting. It could happen anytime. Alertness was one of Gregor's flaws on watch, but today he would stay alert and focused. He must.

He heard movement and felt someone sit up behind him. Barely turning his head, Gregor looked behind him. Luxa was standing up from her sleeping bag. She stretched and walked towards him. "Why would she come over to someone she didn't know or trust?" Gregor thought before she reached him. She sat next to him, but did not look at him.

"I can not sleep, so I will help you on watch." Gregor did not object. Watch was lonely and this was the closest he had been to Luxa in his entire trip to the underland. Her presence made him much more happy. He continued watching, alert as possible, his eyes and ears open for any sign of attack. Nothing came, but he was getting a bad feeling. Something he couldn't see, hear, or detect with echolocation. He felt they were being watched from everywhere. That the spinners were all over the place with their 8 beady eyes focusing on them.

The two sat not speaking for the entire 3 hour shift they were doing. Periodically, Gregor would click his tongue, not only for echolocation purposes, but to annoy Luxa. Every time he clicked she would give a piercing stare daring him to do it again. He would and the process would repeat. When Gregor checked his watch and saw three hours had passed, he got up and woke Mareth, who was taking the last 2 hours of watch. Luxa got up with Gregor and went back to her sleeping bag. She laid herself down and almost immediately fell into a restless sleep. Now it was Gregor who couldn't sleep. He sat watching her toss and turn in her sleeping bag. She must of been having some bad dreams to be moving that much Gregor thought to himself.

Time ticked by slowly. Mareth sat on watch in much the same way as Gregor. Unmoving. Not waiving his stare from the tunnels entrance. Ripred grunted in his sleep and Gregor jumped at the sound. It had been nearly silent before that. Mareth heard Gregor jump and looked back to see Gregor sitting there wide awake. He beckoned Gregor over.

"You should be sleeping. You might need your strength tomorrow," Mareth's voice was quiet and strong like normal, but you could see in his eyes that he didn't feel good about their situation. "I'm not tired. I'm too concerned about what might happen in a few hours to sleep." Mareth nodded his head once and Gregor did not leave but sat the rest of watch with Mareth.

It was nearing the time for the group to wake. They were giving themselves ample time to be ready as the humans had asked for the negotiations and Queen Verex had not objected nor given a time to be there. As Gregor sat there he listened more than watched. Any direct attack would be from down the tunnel. His hearing picked up a slight sound down the tunnel. It was getting louder too. It was coming towards them. Gregor leaped to his feet sword at the ready. A lone spinner scuttled out of the passageway. It stopped before Gregor and spoke the way the spinners spoke.

"I have been sent by Queen Verex. I am to retrieve those who will speak and return within the hour. If I return with none there will be no peace." Mareth woke the party and explained the situation. Vikus and Luxa were concerned.

"Why does she rush us, Vikus?" Luxa asked her grandfather but Ripred answered for him. "She wants to be in charge. She decides what goes as we are in her land." Luxa nodded and continued to ready herself. Even in her traveling clothes she looked beautiful thought Gregor. Her hair was braided in a simple design and she wore simple purple clothes that matched her eyes. Luxa, Vikus, and Ripred ate quicker than normal due to the limited time. It wasn't like they had any impressive foods. Mostly dried beef and bread. Sustaining but nothing special. The three joined the spinner who announced his name as Glevox when Luxa asked him for it. Three marched into the tunnel with Horatio and Marcus stopping on either side of the entrance as Luxa commanded them.

The tunnel was dark and they had not brought torches. Luxa was not nervous, though. She may not be able to see now but the Queen would provide them with light. Glevox lead them down the passage, passing several connecting tunnels, each one contained several spinners. They watched as the four walked down, Luxa's head held high and Vikus walking slightly behind her. Ripred took up the back as the rear guard, making sure no funny business occured. After ten minutes of walking past hundreds of beady eyes, they arrived at a well lit chamber. Sitting there on a massive web sat the largest spinner any human had ever seen. Queen Verex's legs were each about 8 feet long and her body was 6 feet from head to the back of her abdomen, not including her foot long pincers. Most spinners were only about a foot or two long with 2 to 4 foot legs.

"Please sit. We shall talk," the queen said indicating three stone seats directly in front of her. Luxa walked forward first and sat in the middle chair, directly in front of Queen Verex. Vikus took the left seat and Ripred did not sit. He stood behind his bond, tail on the back of the chair. "Why do you not sit?" the queen asked.

"Prefer to use my two paws, your majesty," Ripred responded. It was really in case he had to get out fast. He would grab the two others and run faster than any spinner or human could. He did not trust spinners. They were devious creatures always staying neutral in wars, so they would never be on the losing side. This was the first war they had declared in over two centuries.

"So your majesty, Queen Verex, what do you wish for so our species will not go to war with each other?" Luxa was a pro at this. She could push the oppositions buttons so well they usually gave in quickly. Today though was not her day. "We ask for land up to the River Wise."

Luxa and Vikus were shocked at the idea. The river wise ran only 10 miles from Regalia. "That is not possible. We are willing to give you land up to the River James." Vikus replied having thought through the idea in his head first. The River James ran 25 miles north of Regalia and was not a major part of Human land. They would only lose a small area to the north.

"We ask for Land up to the River Wise. That is our deal. We will not change. Do we have agreement?"

"Absolutely not. If it is war you want it is war you will get." Luxa said standing from her chair and turning to leave. Vikus followed with Ripred in the back. As they got to the passage back to the platform spinners landed in front of them fangs up, ready to fight.

"I did not say you could leave here. Attack them now."

Gregor was not worried. They hadn't even been gone for half an hour. Negotiations usually last hour Gregor thought as he continued doing his push ups. He was so bored he resorted back to what he would do at home grounded. Sets of 50 push ups and 50 sit ups every hour. He had already finished his sit ups and was about done with his push ups when he heard something down the passage.

"Mareth, do you hear that?" Gregor asked jumping to his feet. Mareth ran up next to him and listened. Gregor listened again and heard the unmistakable sound of fighting. Mareth looked at him and they nodded. Gregor sprinted towards the passage, but the noise stopped only to be replaced with shouting. Gregor could not understand the words as they but a echo. He stepped back away from the tunnel waiting for any more sounds to come.

Before he could listen again, however, he echoed and he saw what he feared the most. "Attack!" Gregor yelled pointing up. Spinners of all colors and sizes descended from the ceiling of the cavern down towards the ledge. Perdita, Mareth, and Gregor drew their weapons and waited. The spinners stopped 10 feet above them. Poised on their silky webs. "Why did they stop?" Mareth asked. He got his answer.

Bursting from the tunnel at that moment was Ripred with an unconscious Vikus and a bleeding Luxa on his back. "That Queen of theirs ordered them to attack. Vikus was knocked unconscious by one and Luxa was cut up by some others. As far as I can tell they aren't poisoned." Gregor had enough time to hear Ripred speak before the spiders flooded from the tunnel. Ripred shed Vikus and Luxa from his back and charged towards the mass of spinners Gregor hot on his heels. There were several hundred flowing from the tunnel and the ones above their heads dropped down. The bats took off Vikus strapped on Euripides back.

Ripred ran to the mass and started swiping his claws and swinging his tail like a bull whip, cleavin spinners in half. Gregor was hacking away. His rager sense taking him over, but he knew what he was doing. His mind was able to see and remember each move he made, each swing of his blade There was no blank in time. Limbs were flying away in every direction and blue blood was covering everything. Gregor's entire front was covered in the sticky liquid. The floor in front of Gregor was covered in dismembered spinners, but for every one he killed another would rear its ugly head. Ripred had already started to spin and the spinners were dropping like flies but there was always another to take its place.

No matter how hard those two fought spinners were still getting by. Gregor looked around and saw a spinner sink its fangs into Horatio's chest and Marcus fall under 6 spinners as they impaled his body with force. Howard, Luxa Perdita, and Mareth were fighting off spinners in numerous amounts as they fell from the ceiling and hurried past Gregor and Ripred. The bats were snapping webs and doing what they could. If they didn't get out soon none of them would survive. That was obvious

Gregor fought harder than ever before. He was surprised at how many spinners there were. They didn't number as much as the cutters he fought in the jungle, but they were smarter. Much smarter. Gregor started to lose ground. He had to back up or he would be overrun. Ripred wasn't tiring and continued to fight barely getting scratched. When he said he was outnumbered at 400 to one he meant it as there was nothing stopping him. The problem was they kept coming and coming almost endlessly.

Mareth went down when a spinner pulled his prosthetic out from under him. Andromeda scooped him up before any spinners could kill him. Perdita went down with a bite to the leg. Aphrodite saved her as her leg had gone numb and she could not get back up. Both had lost their sword. All that was left was Gregor, Ripred, Luxa, and Howard. Luxa was managing with her wounds.

"Ripred, we have to get out NOW!" Gregor shouted to his rager friend. Ripred only had time to nod before more spinners jumped towards him. Gregor turned from the spinners before they could attack him and sprinted towards Luxa and Howard, Ripred following right behind him. As they ran a spinner hit hit Howard with a body check and Howard fell off the cliff. A bat blurred by and caught Howard, not soon after he had fallen, rising back up with a shaken but unscathed Howard. Now there was three. Luxa was still fighting but she was not going to be able to much longer. Her condition was worsening and she was tired. Too tired to fight.

"LUXA, GO. GET OUT NOW! WE CAN MANAGE!" There was no objection. She turned and ran to the ledge to jump off and aurora to catch her. As she turned a spinner pounced. Time slowed down for Gregor. All he saw was a flying spinner leaping for Luxa's back. His sword swung and caught the spinner slicing it in half blue blood splattering everything. The front part of the body continued with its momentum flying forward and hitting Luxa midstep. She tripped forward falling. As Luxa fell forward her head slammed into the front of the cliff opening a wound and she rolled off. Gregor looked for a Golden blur to catch her. None came. Time came back to normal Rage and Grief took control of Gregor's body. He threw his sword as hard as he could watching it impale or cleave through 4 spinners before running to the edge of the cliff screaming, looking, praying.

"Luxa, no! Not my Luxa! NOOOOOOOO, LUXA. LUXAAAAAAA!"

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**And we hit another cliffy. TeeHee. Me likey cliffs. Anywho more emotion and stuff and now there is no more Horatio and Marcus. As always I strongly recomend you leave a review even if all you want to do is scream at me for being a dumbass or something or another. Every word helps.**


	8. Chapter 8: Recovery

**For some odd reason this chapter was a dozy to write and edit. I had several people read it and tell me it was great but I still felt it had problems. I changed most of the dialogue more than once and rewrote entire paragraphs several times. I took me over 10 hours just to get to the end which for me is ridiculously long to just write it. And then I spent another 10 or so editing. **

**Hope you like this one. Has some deep stuff and key story elements.**

**ENJOY! **

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**Chapter 8**

Pain. Rage. Agony. Anger. Sadness. That is all Gregor could feel as he stared down into the darkness from his knees. There was nothing left to do but stare into the abyss below and hope. That one small word seemed to crop up all the time down here. Vikus used that word way too much. Gregor gave others hope even when he was in despair. But no hope would come from him today. Gregor weeped and weeped, tears streaked his grimy cheeks, and sobs racked his body. His surroundings were blurred by tears and the sounds of fighting had dispersed. It could have ended or he just blocked it out, but what did it matter. All that mattered to him now was Luxa.

Someone touched his shoulder, but Gregor brushed it away hard. There was nothing anyone could do to comfort him. He was young and had lost the girl he loved. There was almost nothing anyone could do to help him. No one who could understand his anguish. Time seemed to fly by to Gregor. It felt like hours passed, where he just sat there sobbing and screaming her name, but it was only mere minutes. The sobs started to die down, his voice becoming hoarse from screaming, and his reserve of tears had dwindled to nothing. His body still shook, but not from grief or despair but from anger, rage, and pain.

And then his brain began to work again. Thoughts rushed through Gregor's head. An argument of sorts. "She might have survived the fall. She could be down there somewhere. I have to go look no matter what," one side of his brain said. "But there could be spinners down there." the other side said. "You're a rager, stupid." The first side reminded him. "So I can't hold off 50 spinners by myself." The sides argued back and forth, a vicious battle in his head that weighed the pros and cons of his finally made up his mind. There was only one thing he could do.

He climbed to his feet and turned to see everyone standing staring at him. He figured they would think his was weak for crying like a bitch, but their faces told him otherwise. Their looks were of sympathy and understanding. They felt for him, but their own looks showed agony that Gregor could not know. They all may have just lost their Queen. And more important than their queen, they may have lost a friend they had known longer than Gregor.

"Where is Aurora?" Gregor asked with no sympathy behind his words. His heart had taken too much and lost the ability to show compassion and caring. The words were cold and sharp. Words of action. "We have not seen her since the battle began, Gregor. It was hectic and none of us saw where she went," Nike said strongly. Realization dawned on Gregor. The final spark he needed for action. "I'm going to find them. If Aurora isn't here than she is either dead or with Luxa. I'm going with the latter." His words held strength and determination, but were still cold, containing little caring. His words though dripped hope.

Hades hobbled to Gregor and stood beside him. He would help the Overlander as he was concerned for both Gregor's safety and the safety of the young queen. "I am here to assist you, Overlander, as is everyone else. We would all like to help." The look in Gregor's eyes said the opposite. This was his job, his duty. If they were alive he would find them. If they were dead he would find them. "No. I'm doing this alone. You should go back to Regalia, to tell them how the negotiations went. Everyone except Howard. If they live Luxa will have serious injuries that will need tending and you are the medic." Nobody argued with Gregor. There would be no reason to as they would lose any argument started. Ripred glared at Gregor, unapproving, but Gregor returned it. His eyes, ice cold, bore into Ripred who could not take them. Ripred had never seen Gregor so determined or strong. He turned and signaled everyone to mount up. They would let him do it his way.

"Fly you high, Gregor. Bring her home. For everyone."

"Run like the River, Ripred. Run like the river." At these words the two groups split. Ripred, Mareth, and Perdita flew off, in the direction of Regalia, with Vikus strapped on the back of Euripides, still unconscious, and Gregor and Howard flew off the cliff in a steep dive. They were looking for clues or a signs that anything had happened. Any small thing could give them a hint to where she was.

As they neared the base of the cliff, Gregor let out a louder click than he had been using. Louder than he had ever used before. The sound gave him a superior view of the area around him. Things he could see before were sharper and what he could not see came into his view. He could see hundreds of dark caves splattered around the cavern they were in. Several were along the base of the cliff, but many more were scattered on the walls of the rocky cavern.

Hades and Nike touched down on the rough uneven floor, so the two boys could get a better look. Howard held up the torch he was carrying and the light bathed the immediate area. Gregor was pleased. Echoes could not show everything. All he could see was shapes and patterns in his mind. No color and color could be important. The light showed many features Gregor hadn't expected. What he had thoughts were rocks on the floor were actually spinner carcasses. They legs curled up under the body. They looked like grotesque statues whose eyes followed you wherever you went. The sight made Howard shudder, but Gregor stood straight, unaffected. A glint of light in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He stumbled over to it and saw it was a small pool of blood. Not spinner blood, but red, human blood. And it was still warm.

"Howard, over here. Quickly!" Howard scurried over avoiding the spinner bodies and saw what Gregor had and more. "It is not just a pool here." Gregor followed Howard's pointing finger. "There is a small trail away and it leads into one of those caves along the base of the cliff." The boys signaled the two fliers over to them and started to follow the blood. It was spaced out as if whatever it belonged to was traveling quick, but there was still a lot of blood and it was not hard to follow. Aurora had to have caught Luxa and flew her into the caves.

"Overlander, there are spinners in the caves around us," Hades warned, "Including the one we are heading to." The words hit Gregor like a punch. He sprung into action drawing his sword and sprinting towards the cave. "Gregor, wait. Shouldn't we... oh, forget it," said Howard unsheathing his sword and following Gregor towards the cave. "It is never good to go in without a plan," he muttered under his breath. Gregor reached the entrance of the cave first. It was dark inside. Very dark. Gregor could not see the full cave as it curved to his right. The ceiling was low, only about 6 feet tall. This would limit fighting to only jabs and side slashes, as there was no room for overhand attacks. Howard caught up to Gregor and grabbed his shoulder.

"Gregor, are you sure about this? We do not know what awaits us inside." Not even heeding Howard, Gregor started to inch his way into the cave, sword at the ready in case of attack. There steps were paced and silent. There was no need to alert any enemies they were as close as they were. The cave was not large and before long they were approaching the curve Gregor had seen. It was almost a full 90 degree turn and the other side of it opened into a small cavern, the ceiling reaching fifteen feet and the walls far enough apart for a full grown flier to spread its wings. And a full grown flier had its wings spread. Aurora was standing there shielding Luxa from 10 spinners who were trying to kill her. She swiped with her razor sharp claws and bit at them with her teeth.

The site was horrible. Aurora's wings were torn and she was bleeding from many slash wounds on her belly. Gregor raised his sword over his head and charged the attacking spinners, slamming into the group like a bowling ball. He let a scream of just fury as his blade rose and fell. Nothing stood in his way. If a spinner showed its ugly head it lost it. His blade hit a fang with a resounding crack and broke it clean off. The next move sent the sword clean through the front of the spinner and out the other end, impaled along the blade. He wrenched at his sword trying to pull it free from the spinner, but it would not budge. With no time to pull it free, there was no hope left. If he had no sword how could he fight. Two spinners were left and Howard was fighting one. The other turned his attention to Gregor. It leaped towards Gregor's defiant face, telling the spinner to try it. It was a foot away when something slammed it against the wall. Aurora had jumped in and crushed the spinner just in time. 10 spinners lay dead on the floor, their blue blood mixing with Aurora's, Howard's, and Luxa's red to make a purple mess on the floor. Gregor didn't have a scratch on him.

"Are you two alright?" Gregor asked the wounded bat. "Other than my wounds, I am fine. Luxa needs help now, though." Howard ran to his cousin, medical bag slapping his leg as he went. He kneeled beside her and went to work. Her head was bleeding badly and her skin had become pale. Paler than even the average Underlander. She had lost a lot of blood. Gregor joined Howard, doing whatever the young doctor told him. He put pressure on wounds, handed Howard supplies, sewed up minor wounds on her legs or arms. Aurora watched from the corner of the cave waiting to spout warnings of attacks. None came.

After an hour Howard had mended all the wounds he had seen and given her meds to keep her unconscious. Then he went and tended to Aurora. Gregor sat with Luxa's hand in his. She was alive and should be ok, minus a few scars, as long as she got back to Regalia. The wound on her head had not been deep, but head wounds bleed like a hearty river. The flow does not stop easy. Her kissed her hand and sat there watching her.

"She needs to get back to Regalia. Aurora will not be able to fly with her wounds and we only have two fliers." Howard told Gregor. "Hades can carry Aurora back as he is bigger and stronger. Nike can easily manage with the three of us." Gregor replied not taking his eyes from luxa. "Then we shall go now. The faster we get her there the faster she can wake up and see you." Howard said the last part with a small hesitation as if he was picking his words carefully. Gregor noticed and shot him a quick glance wondering whether Howard had finally gotten over the fact Gregor loved his cousin.

Gregor picked Luxa up delicately and carried her from the cave, her head resting against his shoulder. Hades and Nike turned at the sound of them approaching. The breath they had not realized they were holding released when they saw Luxa in Gregor's well muscled arms. Her body was limp, but they could see her chest moving with breath every few seconds.

"Hades, Aurora will have to ride on your back. She is injured and cannot fly. Nike we will ride on you." The two bats nodded in consent lowering themselves so everyone could clamor on. Howard assisted Aurora onto Hades back before climbing onto Nike with Gregor. Luxa's head was rested in Gregors lap and Gregor faced backwards to make it easier for him to stay on. Howard sat behind Gregor, so the two boys were back to back.

"Can you two manage a straight flight back? They need to be in the hospital." Gregor was no longer cold. His words carried hope and compassion again. He was no longer hopeless and unsympathetic. His heart could take more than three hits before being KOed.

"We are rested enough that we might be able to make it back. It will not be easy, though." Nike replied. The two bats then stretched their wings and took off. They balanced out about 150 feet from the ground and the ride was smooth. Gregor held onto Luxa's hands to keep her on Nike's back. They had flown a few hours, without much talking between the 5. Howard had turned a few times to see how Luxa was doing but that was all. This time when Howard turned around though he asked Gregor something more personal.

"Gregor, how much do you care about the underland? How much do you care about Regalia?" Gregor did not know where the question came from or why he had asked, but he answered honestly. "Regalia is like my home. It is my home. I belong here and I will protect it with my life because I couldn't stand to see it destroyed. There are too many people who I love here. Too many friends I would lose. So you could say I care alot."

Before Howard could ask his next question, Luxa started to mutter stuff under her breath. "Vikus... Regalia...spinners...death...gnawers." Gregor spun around to howard, his look asking what the hell was going on. "She must be having a dream and just talking in her sleep." Then she started to toss and turn so violently Gregor almost lost his grip on her. He grabbed her hand harder holding on as she threatened to pull herself off Nike's back. Her muttering became louder. "Don't hurt him...Ripred stop...someone help me...STOP PLEASE!"

"Give her some of this, Gregor. NOW!" Howard yelled at Gregor handing him a purple bottle. He poured a small amount into her mouth and she swallowed. Her muttering stopped and she lay still again. "Holy shit, Howard. What was that stuff?"

"A medicine that gives dreamless sleep. Fast acting and it should last until we return to the Palace." Everyone was watching and listening to Howard. Aurora and Gregor's faces showed deep concern. No one spoke. Gregor brushed Luxa's hair from her face and kissed the tip of her nose. Her skin was cool to the touch. She was getting some color back as well. It was a miracle she was getting even minorly better in just these few hours. Gregor jumped when a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Gregor, how much do you care for Luxa?" Howard's words were but a whisper. The question must have been sitting on Howard's mind for some time as he was waiting intently for an answer. "Howard, I think you can answer that for yourself. You saw how I was when I thought she was gone. When I wouldn't be able to see her beautiful smile or hear her sarcasm. I wouldn't see the light behind her eyes. I love her more than I love the sun. More than I have ever loved anything. I would die for her." Every word Gregor spoke was the truth. Every word contained love and conviction.

Howard finally understood. He could see in Gregor's eyes that he was not lying. His cousin would not be in bad hands at all. Gregor would take care of her and make sure nothing happened. It was time for him to let go of his bad feelings toward a relationship between the two.

"You have my permission." The words meant everything to Gregor. Howard finally trusted him with his cousin. His queen. It may have taken longer than expected, but it came. "Thanks. It means alot coming from you. Why did you oppose it anyway?"

"I thought you were just an Overlander. Just someone who was gonna pass through. Someone who she should not get close to. I see I was wrong." And then the two were quiet again, with Gregor watching his love and Howard staring straight ahead.

The flight dragged on. Had it been 8 hours or 10 hours. Maybe even 12 hours. How close were they to Regalia? It took almost a full day to get to the spinners, but that included a 6 hour break and rest. They must be getting close. "Gregor we are about 2 hours time from Regalia. I am tired as is Hades. We need to rest for a few hours." Before Gregor could reply the two fliers started to lose altitude moving towards a shelf of stone along the side of the tunnel they were flying through. As soon as they had landed, they fell asleep. Gregor hadn't even dropped from Nike's back before he heard her bat snores start to fill the air around him. Hades' snores soon joined in and then Aurora's.

"Howard, you should get some rest. I'll keep watch." Howard had no argument so he laid himself down and dozed off, his light breathing joining the cacophony of other snores. Luxa had not woken the entire trip true to Howard's word. Her breathing was the quietest of the group. Gregor soon found himself starting to doze off. His eyes were heavy and he felt the urge to just let them close. but he couldn't. Watch was more important than sleep. Even though they were in Human land spinners and their allies could attack at any moment.

It was no use. Gregor hadn't slept in almost 20 hours and the strain of staying awake was to much. His eyes slid shut and he fell into his own dream world. People were fighting all around him. Swords flashed through the air. Blood was everywhere. And then he was falling. Falling through an infinite blackness. He kept falling for hours, but he was not scared there would always be something to catch him. He had friends to catch him. He closed his eyes. SMACK!

Something hit him in real life. Gregor jumped awake hand on the hilt of his sword. Howard stood before him, fury etched on his face. "You take watch and fall asleep! We could have been attacked! We could have died! What were you thinking!?" Gregor's face was bright red, not from embarrassment, but from where Howard had slapped him. A welt was already forming.

"I'm sorry, Howard. I guess we were all tired and I nodded off. There is no excuse for my actions." Gregor felt terrible and his posture showed it. He walked slowly, back bent over to Nike, Hades, and Aurora to see if they were ready to fly. Howard felt just as bad as his friend. He should never have slapped him. That was unacceptable.

"Howard, Aurora can fly so I'm taking Luxa back on her," Gregor told him, his voice sharp as steel again. Howard jumped out of his thoughts and nodded in consent. The trust between the two young men had vanished. The tone of Gregor's voice proved that. They climbed up onto the back of the fliers and set out again. Regalia would be coming up in a matter of hours. Luxa could get better treatment, as she still looked a mess. Better but a mess. Her skin was still paler than normal and she had a cold sweat running down her body. Gregor felt her forehead. She was burning up.

"Howard, we have a problem. Luxa has a horrendous fever. She doesn't look very good." The concern carried in Gregor's quavering voice. "Nike flew over and Howard looked at Luxa as best as he could. He finally decided on something and reached into his doctor's bag, rummaging around for something. He pulled out another small bottle, this one a pale blue. "Same as before, Gregor. Give her a small sip. Watch her. If the fever returns give her more."

Gregor gave Luxa the medicine and spoke to her. "You'll be okay, Luxa. I'm right here. I'll always be right here." He squeezed her hand and she reacted. She moved closer to Gregor, seeming to relish in his comforting body. She never woke.

The tunnel started to come to a close and back into a wide open cavern. The lights of Regalia could be seen in the distance. But something was not right. There was too much noise in the cavern. The sounds of moving bodies. Feet on the ground. Gregor looked down and saw something he hadn't seen in over a year. Below him were hundreds of gnawers. And among them, hundreds of spinners. They were marching towards Regalia and nobody knew but Howard and him.

"Aurora, we must get back now." Aurora had already sped up before he told her. She was flying faster than he had ever seen the Golden bat fly. She was a blur to onlookers Over the wall she flew, headed straight for the palace. And then she hit the floor of the high hall , sliding across the floor. Luxa woke with a start.

"...Gregor..." she said groggily. "Luxa, you're awake. Its-" Before Gregor could finish his sentence Luxa was whisked off of Aurora by a team of doctors. She reached her hand out for Gregor's and Gregor reached too. Their fingertips brushed before the doctors had her on a stretcher and down to the hospital. "She remembers me now. She remembers me now!" Gregor thought to himself, his heart jumping. He gave a huge fistpump jumping off of Aurora. As soon as his feet hit the ground, they left it as he was picked up in a huge bear hug.

"You found her. Regalia is in your debt again." Mareth said, putting Gregor down on the floor. Gregor rubbed his bruised ribs and saw the rest of the people in the room with him. Vikus, Ripred, Mareth, Perdita, and the commander from the first day Gregor was here stood in front of him. What was that commanders name? Oh right, Claudius. Claudius spoke first.

"We would like to know the story of what happened since the others left you." Gregor explained everything. He told them about Aurora saving Luxa when she fell. Finding them both injured in the cave. Killing the spinners. He told them about Luxa's condition and trying to take care of her. Then he remembered what he saw as they were nearing Regalia.

"And there is a massive army of Gnawers and spinners marching on Regalia as we speak. That is why we flew in so fast. They are probably no more than a mile away by now." Ripred, Mareth, Perdita, and Claudius sprang into action. They sprinted away yelling commands to guards and troops. Gregor went to help them but Vikus put a hand up. He was shaky. Worse than before.

"Gregor. You have done well. Bathe and rest. You need it. Howard you may be needed. Go bathe first." The two men bowed to Vikus and ran from the Hall to the nearest bath. Howard stripped incredibly fast and jumped into the nearest bath, scrubbing away the dirt from his body. He was done in minutes. Gregor took his time. He was sore from fighting. There was no adrenaline in his body and his muscles protested every motion. He sank into the warm water and his muscles relaxes. All tension left him. He scrubbed blood from his skin, dirt from his hands. His hair was matted with debris of fighting and it took him quite awhile to get it clean. If it was not for the running water he would have been sitting in a tub of black slop. He climbed out and found fresh clothes waiting for him. He didn't look at them just threw them over his head.

At this moment a blood curdling scream could be heard from the edge of the city. The attack had commenced and he was not taking part. The warrior needed rest and the city would have to wait for him. More screams rent the air, closer this time. Soldiers rushed past Gregor to get to the source. Gregor found a balcony that looked over the city and he found the answer to the screams.

Spinners were dropping from the cavern roof into Regalia.

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**So what do you think. Leave off with another tense moment, got some love stuff in, and covered some key plot points I wanted to hit before next chapter, which should be out a little bit quicker than this one even though this one was only a little bit over two days.**

**As always review and tell me what you think.**

**-SamsungPony**


	9. Chapter 9: Invasion

**And I'm back with chapter 9. This chapter was fun to write. So fun I scrapped it twice and started over. I started writing it like Hunger Games in first person and stuff. I had to go back and read Code of Claw to get the style back. Anyway Once I had t****he idea I wrote it up and edited and here it is.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 9**

The scene below Gregor was one of utter chaos. People were dying left and right from spinners in the streets. Webs ensnared people, keeping them from running away from the menace. Soldiers were down in the street trying to fend off the spinners but they were easily outnumbered and sucumbed easily. Fliers were saving as many citizens as they could but there was not much that could be done. A metallic smell filled the air. Blood. That coupled with the screams of pain and fright was too much for Gregor. His head started to ache. His hands clenched the railing as his rage built up.

_I have to control myself, _Gregor thought. _I can't let myself lose it._ It was working. Gregor was calming. If he lost himself to his rager side, there were unimaginable things he could do. But he was still needed in the streets. When Vikus told him to rest he had not expected for spinners to invade the very city from above. More screams filled the air and a new smell joined the smell of blood. Burning flesh.

Gregor could not take more. He vomited over the edge and collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving as another wave of nausea overcame him. He vomited again and again until he was all empty. He slumped over dry heaving with nothing left for him to get out. The smells around him were impossible to stomach. Footsteps in the hall behind him brought him back to attention and he stumbled to his feet, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. His company arrived in moments.

"Gregor, where have you been? We've been looking for you. You are needed in the streets." Gregor tried to walk forward but collapsed right away. He had no energy to fight. His stomach was empty and his head spinning. A concerned Mareth was crouched next to him. Gregor could not hear what he was saying, but it was not pleasant. The last thing Gregor saw was Mareth's face. Concerned and angered. And then he blacked out.

Gregor awoke with a start, sitting straight up. The hospital room was clean and quiet. He felt completely fine minus the hollow feeling in his stomach like he hadn't eaten in a month. Why was he here? There was nobody in his room to ask, so he climbed out of the bed and slipped on his boots. He strapped his sword onto his belt and left. The sound of battle could still be heard and wounded were being rushed into the hospital. Gregor was shocked at the sights. Men with no limbs, gaping wounds dripping blood and pus, or terrible head injuries. Howard sprinted past him. He skidded to a stop and looked at Gregor.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Why was I in there? I should be fighting." Gregor replied. He had no memory of his nausea on the balcony. No recollection of himself passing out. "You blacked out from loss of fluids. You need to be drinking something not fighting. Get something to drink." With those words Howard ran into a room to treat whatever wounded were inside. Gregor stumbled up into the upper part of the castle. The kitchen would be up there not far from the dining room. He could get some water and something to eat and then he could go out and fight.

The entire trek to the kitchen took a lot out of Gregor He was so weak from dehydration and lack of fluids that he had to stop very often to catch his breath and calm his spinning head. The halls were full of wounded being rushed to the hospital or refugees trying to find somewhere to sit down. The entire palace was a mess. The kitchen though was quiet. There was nobody there, so Gregor took it as his opportunity. He grabbed a cup from a shelf and filled it to the brim with water from a jug on a counter. Taking small sips he found his way into the pantry.

The pantry was like no pantry Gregor had ever seen. It was larger than his entire Overland apartment. They could probably fit two of them inside. The walls were lined with boxes and jars of foods from dry beef to mushrooms to the leafy greens they eat at dinner. He grabbed a handful of salted beef and walked back into the kitchen. There was a small table with chairs, so he sat down. The beef was super salty, but it tasted so good. Before he knew it the handful he had was gone and he had gone back to the jug of water twice. He downed the water and refilled again. His strength was coming back. He felt more steady on his feet. His arms didn't feel like someone was trying to pull him to the ground. He felt like he could fight.

After two more glasses of water, Gregor took off out of the room. He had no clue how long he had been out or what had happened in the battle, but he still felt he could be of assistance. He ran to the High Hall looking for a General, Mareth or Perdita, even Ripred. All he found were refugees and wounded scattered around with fliers bringing more up. He ran to the edge of the hall and saw a group of soldiers down on the ground. They were in a fierce battle with a large mass of spinners. The houses and buildings in their path had been demolished. What really caught Gregor's eyes was the 3 middle fighters in the line. A spinning Ripred, one solid fighting Mareth, and a dazzling Perdita with twin swords doing as much damage as Ripred. A flier landed next to Gregor dropping off a mortally wounded citizen and his family.

"Take me down to the fight," Gregor told the flier who obeyed immediately. Gregor had no armor, but he didn't think he would need it. There would be a limited number of spinners per person and he doubted that they would wound him too much. The flier dropped him off about 10 yards from the line. Gregor sprinted to the line and just as he got there a spinner jumped on the soldier next to Mareth. Mareth could not cover the hole that had been opened. What great timing by Gregor then.

His sword sliced through the spinner that was on top of the fighting soldier, who saw Gregor standing there. "The warrior has arrived. He will save us," he shouted. Nobody had time to look, but a small cheer erupted from the soldiers. Mareth took a peek over at Gregor who was now standing next to him. There was nothing that could be done now other than hope the line could hold. They had 4 of the best fighters in Regalia fighting on it.

Spinners were throwing themselves at Gregor with a ferocity he had never seen. His sword never missed. His rager side had taken him over almost completely. He saw only what he needed to see. A limb, a joint, fangs. The many weak spots of a spinner flashed through his head as each one came. With each spinner though another one was there. The numbers were huge. Gregor had never thought of how many spinners there might be. They could number into the hundreds of thousands. He fought on. His feet slid in blood and the bodies were building up in front of him. There were more and more coming.

Soldiers all around them had been taken down. There was now only a small group left. Gregor, Mareth, Ripred, Perdita, and 4 other soldiers still fought on. "Boy, me and you take the point. It will funnel them to the middle. They attack the strongest with the most troops," Ripred snarled from the middle. He had stopped spinning but was still slaughtering spinners. Mareth and Gregor swapped spots without missing a beat, still slashing and stabbing away at the spinners. Gregor would pull out his own spin, but he was not certain it would do much with just one sword. A soldier nearby dropped under the combined effort of 8 spinners and his sword slid over right next to Gregor's foot. With a quick motion his foot flipped the sword into the air so he could catch it with his free hand. As his fingers closed around the hilt, a tremendous pain ripped through his hand. It was still broken. He fought through the pain and continued to slash away at spinners with two swords.

"Time to spin yet, Ripred?" Gregor asked his fighting neighbor. "I though you would never ask." The two took a few steps forward and went to work. Gregor was slightly off balance, but he remembered something Ripred had told him. He picked a spot in the distance and made sure he spotted it each time he spun by. From above the sight must have been amazing. The spinners were surrounding the two ragers, but they could not touch them. The bodies started to stack up around them. More and more spinners launched themselves at the two only to be met with a sword blade or a claw. If Gregor was tiring he did not show it. If anything his spin picked up speed, and he spun with renewed energy. The numbers of spinners started to dwindle as they retreated away. Soldiers on fliers from the wall made easy work of them. Finally when nothing was left to kill Gregor stopped his spin. His rager side was gone and he felt beat. His arms were tired and his legs had never felt so jelly like ever. The good thing was he wasn't dizzy. He had some minor wounds on him, but who didn't. Ripred was covered in scratches and had a gash down his back, Mareth's arm was bleeding from a deep cut, and Perdita had a thin cut along her forehead that was bleeding pretty bad. None of the soldiers had lived.

"Impressive. I never thought I would see you fight like that. Spun almost as good as me," Ripred said patting Gregor on the back with his tail. All around the two ragers were spinner bodies, some still twitching, but all leaking out the sticky blue blood. It ran like a stream down the sloped street away from the palace. Mareth and Perdita had already gone up to the castle to get their wounds fixed, but Gregor and Ripred stayed down on the ground. Gregor did not feel like going back up to the castle to be praised for his fighting.

"I'm gonna go look for survivors in the rubble and kill any spinners I see." Gregor said walking off by himself. He had no clue why but he didn't want to talk to anyone. There was no explanation other than he still felt mad and angry. Like his rager side was still flared up inside him. He wanted to kill something else.

The collapsed houses held nothing but crushed corpses. Some of them were burned, charred flesh that had no distinguishing features. Spinners corpses were also crushed and burned in the houses. They looked no worse for wear in either state, and if you hadn't noticed the blood around their bodies might have thought them to be living. There was no sound of wounded soldiers or citizens. No cries for help. The city was quiet, with the only sound being that of burning buildings and Gregor's footfalls on fallen stone. There was no warning of the two spinners that were hiding in an alley.

The two leapt for Gregor and all the time he had was for a dodge out of the way, landing in an awkward position on the ground and hitting his head on the stone wall of a building. One of the spinners landed on his leg and started to wrap it in silk. He could only remember back to his first visit when they wrapped his body in the sticky mess and hung him from a ceiling. His sword lopped the body in half after it had only wrapped him to the mid calf. The other spinner, however, was lunging for his head, fangs bared. He stuck up his second sword and the spinner cleaved itself in half on the razor sharp blade, each half landing next to Gregor. He slit the silk around his legs and stood up. His head hurt from where he slammed it into the wall. He rubbed his head and continued his trek through the city.

The farther from the palace he got the less the destruction became. Right up near the palace there was not a building standing. Now that he was over 200 yards from the it there were only a few damaged buildings and even less were collapsed. The spinners had not dropped into this area of the city and had only done the damage on the retreat. The sounds of fighting from the walls was still there, but it was restricted to small skirmishes. He changed his direction and sprinted through the city to the fields and through the fields to the wall. He reached the stairs and sprinted up skipping two steps at a time. By the time he reached the top he was breathing heavier than he wanted to be.

He saw the man named Claudius commanding the troops. He was a stupendous strategist. The fighting here had been more intense. Humans, spinners, and gnawers were dead throughout the battlefield. Some fliers wings could be seen poking out of the areas of mass bodies. Some gnawers were still fighting with mounted humans, but there were no more spinners.

"General Claudius, how did the fighting go here?" Gregor asked walking up next to him and looking down at the battles. Some gnawers saw Gregor and took off running for the closest cave and others charged the walls trying to reach him. Their eyes were filled with rage and fury. They had been the followers of the bane. Despisers of humans. They hated his guts. "It was very brutal. We lost many, but they retreated. You seem to have seen some fighting yourself."

"Yes, sir. Spinners had dropped into the city." He was shocked by the news and asked for details. I told him about collapsed buildings and the dead citizens. The wounded and the fight we had at the base of the palace. "Me and Ripred took the point and held them off until we assume they retreated. They may have simply lost to many to continue to fight though."

"Yes, they retreated here as well. I have some things to work on here with my commanders. Can you go back to the palace and send Ripred back here?" Gregor agreed and hopped onto a flier that had landed to carry him back to the palace. Gregor surveyed the city from above. A quarter had been totally lost and the rest could be salvaged. The flight took only a minute, but in that minute the lack of remorse shown by the spinners was evident. Bodies were strewn on parts of the street that Gregor had not been on. They were mangled and ugly, torn to pieces. Some had been used as meals by the spinners, their insides liquified and now only their skin was left. The images sickened Gregor, so he closed his eyes and did not open them until his feet were safely on the floor of the High Hall.

His eyes opened to a much more suitable site. The High Hall was still full of people looking for a place to stay in the palace. The halls were already lined with refugees and children were playing in what space they had. They were still happy even though their parents faces carried looks of pain, sadness, and loss. A child was crying nearby. "Mommy! Mommy, wake up!"

Gregor found the little boy in the far corners of the hall. He stood barely to Gregor's knee, so he must have been about 3. His mother was leaning against the wall, a wound open on her neck. The child kept screaming for his mom to wake up. His thoughts went to boots and how she would act. There was no way he could leave the boy there.

"Hey there, little boy," Gregor said in a soft caring voice. The boy turned to Gregor, his face stained with tears. "Where's your daddy?" The boy wobbled over to Gregor, who crouched down to look him in the eyes. "I no know where daddy is."

Gregor couldn't leave him there, but he had no clue where to take him. Maybe the nursery would take him til his dad showed up. "What's your name?" Talking to kids always works better when you know their name. He learned that from trying to talk to boots friends. "Tommy," The boy got out through his crying, as he went back to his mom and falling on the floor near her.

"Your mom is sleeping. Let's leave her here and go find your daddy, Tommy." Tommy looked at Gregor and saw the soft, calm eyes that Gregor had when around children. He nodded his head, so Gregor bent down and scooped him up onto his shoulders. Tommy was laughing the whole time holding on to Gregor. The two started walking down a hall full of people, each person pointing out Gregor as the warrior and trying to shake his hand. Some recognized Tommy, but did not stop Gregor.

"Warrior, why do you have Tommy?" an old Lady called from behind him. Gregor stopped and turned around to see her standing about 10 feet behind him against the wall. She had to have been in her 60's. "I found him with his mom and she was sleeping so much he couldn't wake her. I'm looking for his dad." The lady approached Gregor and looked Tommy in the eyes.

"Grammie," Tommy squealed and forced his way off Gregor's shoulders into his Grandma's arms. She held him close for a moment and told him to go over to a little girl named Suzy. "His father died during the War of Time warrior. We never told him though. We told him his dad left him. And now his mom is gone, too. So much for one little boy." She then shuffled off back to her spot on the floor and took Tommy in her arms.

Gregor then remembered he had to tell Ripred something and headed to the only place he could think of: the war room. He managed to find his way there with some help from guards. He walked into the room to find Perdita, Ripred, and Mareth huddled around a map on the end of a table. They all looked up to him and beckoned him over to them.

"There you are. I was wondering where you had gotten to. Come take a look at this." Gregor walked over and looked at the map, but he couldn't make head or tails of it. There were land distributions and markers for troops. "Ripred, Claudius needs you at the wall for something. He sent me to get you the message but I... couldn't find you." Ripred looked at him inquisitively before he ran from the room. Mareth and Perdita looked at him asking for what he really was doing. He looked back noting their wounds were stitched and wrapped.

Finally realizing they wanted an answer Gregor spoke. "When I arrived back at the palace, I heard a little boy crying for his mom. She was dead and I went to look for his family. I found his Grandma. She's all he has left." Gregor felt a tension in his throat. The feeling he gets when he's going to tear up. He turned away and paced the table trying to calm himself. Mareth and Perdita watched as he struggled to hold back tears. Tears he had no clue where they came from. He didn't know the boy or his parents.

"We understand, Gregor. He must have reminded you of your little sister, so it came as second nature to help," Perdita said calmly. Gregor felt something else rise in his throat beyond the need to cry. Anger and hate. He felt like tearing off Perdita's head for her bringing his family into this. "How dare you bring my family into this. This has nothing to do with my family. I helped him because nobody else was. Nobody cared. He was just another casualty of this war. Of every war that happens in this fucked up place!" Mareth tried to reprimand him for talking to a superior in that way but Perdita waved him off. "Gregor, I-" But Gregor did not care to hear more; he stormed from the room.

Hours passed as Gregor wandered the halls. He had gotten so aggravated over her bringing up Boots, and he could not figure out a single reason why. She said something harmless and he took it as a shot as his family. That was not normal or okay. There was nothing normal about it at all. He had just gotten angry. Anger that originated from nowhere. It was like back in school when he would get in a fight. A kid he didn't know well or care for would have something bad said about him and Gregor would get mad. Really mad. His thoughts drifted back to the first fight.

It was a cold November day. A tuesday. There was a new kid in school named Timothy Sutter. He was the nerd of nerds. He could remember facts no one needed to know or care about. He was an ace in history, science, and math. He didn't dress like a nerd, though. Most people liked him even most of the bullies because he was nice enough to help them with work because most of the time his work was done.

We were sitting in biology and had some silly worksheet to do. Timothy had finished his in minutes and was sitting in the back of class reading a book. It was harmless. Several kids had asked for his help with some problems and as usual he walked them through. I had already finished as well and was indifferent about him helping others. Daydreams had filled my head and I was lost in thought until I heard the one voice I hated to hear.

The class bully, Johnny Thomas, had walked up to Timothy and slammed his paper on his desk. "Do it for me. All of it." Timothy looked at him and laughed. "I'm not doing that. I'll show you how to do number one, though." Johnny who was used to getting his way became aggressive. "Do it for me or I'll make you regret coming to this school." The last kid he told that to was hospitalized and he had 3 weeks of suspension. At that I had heard enough. My anger was pulsing through my veins. I couldn't stand bullies. I walked over and grabbed the paper shredding it to pieces.

"There now you won't have to do it." Johnny turned and swung a fist at me, which I easily dodged. I held my ground dodging punches. He was getting winded and I was bored so I spun around bringing my foot up and kicking Johnny hard in the side of his head. He fell back but kept his balance long enough to catch the punch that busted his nose.

Back in reality, Gregor was standing outside his room. His feet had carried him to this point without him remembering them doing so. He wanted to go sleep, but he also wanted to go apologize to Perdita for jumping down her throat. And now he wanted to talk to Ripred about his anger. There was so much he wanted to do that he had no clue which to do. He walked in his room and looked in the mirror. The image the mirror showed didn't even look like him. He was covered in blood and ash and dirt. His hair was almost dyed blue and in such a way from exertion it looked like he had a mohawk. And on top of that he smelled terrible. The first thing he needed to do was wash.

He found his way to the bath as per usual and did his usual. He sat in the bath rubbing off the grime that covered his body. It was much more difficult as he was layered in blood and dirt and more blood. His hair was nearly impossible to loosen. The blood had congealed so much he had to submerge his hair for 5 minutes just to get it to move a little. It took about 30 minutes and he was clean as a whistle. He changed into fresh silken clothes that were purple in color. In the bath he had determined to apologize to Perdita and ask Ripred about his problems the next morning. He was just too tired to do anymore that night.

He got back in the hall and noticed the refugees in the hall sleeping. It must be night time, so he had made the right choice. There would no way to talk to anyone. The path to his room was full of snoring refugees and those too scared to sleep. Some tried to strike up a conversation with him as he passed, but he was so preoccupied all he could muster was a hello. By the time he reached his room he had said hello so many times he would rather not hear the word for the rest of his life. He settled down into bed and was about to fall into slumber when running footsteps snapped him from whatever slight thoughts of sleep he had. He reached for his sword when someone ran into his room. It was just Howard. He needed to catch his breath. He must have run from the hospital. The words he spoke made Gregor's mind forget his need to sleep.

"Someone wants to see you, Gregor."

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**So who do you think wants to see Gregor? It might surprise you. Anyway tell me who you think it is and tell me what you think of this chapter in a review.**


	10. Chapter 10: Strange Occurences

**And I am back again. Can't believe I got to chapter 10 already. It really has been amazing the amount of support I've had writing the first 9 chapters. Plenty of good reviews and PM's giving me some ideas and helping me improve. I'm so gracious for it.**

**Shoutouts to Great Reviews:**

**Jenny**

**Coleman321**

**CrazyJ888**

**HiddenBlade**

**Jedi1**

**Silent Ninja22**

**AssassinAuthor**

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**So that's that. Get to reading this chapter which took some good revisions and some sisterly advice to write. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 10**

His heart was beating so loudly that he figured the entire castle could hear it. His unnatural scowl that had covered his face after the days events transformed into a smile. The sore muscles of his body cried in agony, but he made them move. He forced himself off the bed, willing his feet forward. His eyes became unfocused when his thoughts darted to who could be asking for him. At this time of night everyone would be asleep except for someone who had been sleeping all day. At the realization his thoughts zoomed back into focus.

Howard saw the look in Gregor's eyes and felt bad about what he had to say. "Gregor, we are not going to the hospital. Please follow me so as not to get lost." Gregor's heart fell. His jovial spirits collapsed upon themselves and his weariness came back. His mode turned sour and he plopped back onto his bed and closed his eyes. There was no way he was going to see anyone tonight other than Luxa. Howard stopped a few steps from the door. He had to get Gregor to come.

"This is important. I have been sent to bring you as this is urgent. The situation is dire." The final words roused Gregor for the second time. Dire? Who could have such dire news at what must be two in the morning? There was only one way to find out. "Let's get going then, Howard," Gregor mumbled hoping out of bed and sliding on a pair of sandals. His feelings were still hurt, but if they needed him for something then he was needed.

Howard led them through halls Gregor had never been down. He passed intricate statues, carvings, painting, and windows that looked out over all of Regalia. They were climbing higher and higher into the palace, climbing long staircase and winding corkscrew halls. Sometimes they darted down side halls or down a flight of stairs. If he was by himself there would no way he would be capable of finding his way back to his room. After about the thirtieth flight of stairs and fifth corkscrew they entered a lavish hall that had only one door. "Howard, where are we and why was it so hard to get here?"

"The room behind that door was Sandwich's chambers. They were unused for the final years of his life as he did not leave the prophecy room. They are unused today, but are still kept clean. Vikus sent for me to send you here. He is waiting inside." Gregor was nervous. What would be so important that Vikus would have them meet in Sandwich's chambers? He walked toward the door. It was a solid red stone the color of blood, polished so much that Gregor could see his reflection in it. The handle was a simple brass one. It didn't turn but the latch in the door opened when it was pulled up. He pushed the door open and nearly fell at the site before him. The room was covered in tapestries depicting who knows what, fine rugs,statues of beautiful woman, and paintings of the most extravagant things. Things Gregor had never seen or dreamed of. Sitting in front of him in two lush, purple chairs were Vikus and Nerissa. The door closed with a resounding clash that broke the silence.

The room was so breathtaking that Gregor was entranced by it. It was like walking into a billionaire's house. He was so taken by it that he did not hear Vikus beckon him to sit. The old man climbed to his feet and reached out to Gregor, touching his shoulder gently. The touch abruptly brought Gregor back to reality. Vikus looked sad and worse than he had ever looked. His eyes were puffy like he had been crying. Nerissa was a little better, but she too looked as if she had teared up some. "Please, sit Gregor."

Gregor sat on the couch and was relieved by the softness of it. For not having someone sit on it for 400 years it was more than comfortable. "Why did you want to see?" Gregor asked calmly and with as much intrigue as he could fit into the question. Vikus turned to Nerissa asking her to explain. If Nerissa was going to be explaining it then it could not be something good. Nerissa spoke in a quiet voice that was barely more than a whisper, "I had a vision that Regalia had been destroyed by an army of Spinners and Gnawers. There was not a building standing and they were surrounding the palace."

"So you called me here, to this room, to tell me that Regalia would be decimated by war?" Gregor interrupted. Vikus and Nerissa both shook their heads. There was more to this terrible story. Vikus spoke next. "If we wanted to tell you that we could have done it before the entirety of our generals. The next piece is why we requested you to come here at this hour. Nerissa please continue."

"I then saw an attack. Many were dying and you were doing all you could. I saw you kneeling over someone you loved, tears welling in your eyes. I could feel the anger that radiated from you, that _I_ smashed things in my room. You then rampaged through the enemy killing more than I have ever seen someone kill. The key part was the sword's you used. You had the same sword you are currently using: The sword of the son. But you also had another sword. A sword so beautiful, so carefully crafted and deadly that it could only have been one of Sandwich's own creations."

Each one of her words had caused Gregor's heart to drop lower and lower into his body. By the end of it all it was resting somewhere near his kidneys. It took him awhile to speak, for words would not come to him. The words came out hoarse and quiet, "You said someone I loved. Who?" He felt that he already knew the answer. There were only a few people he loved down here. Luxa, Mareth, Howard, Vikus, and maybe Ripred. Knowing Nerissa it would be the one he loved the most, the one he could not live without. Luxa.

"Your mother." That was all Nerissa said before covering her face in her many layers of clothes. "My...mother. How!?" Gregor yelled at them. He felt his anger coming over him. The same anger he felt when he yelled at Perdita and saw the spinners attacking the citizens of Regalia. An unnatural anger. He felt himself moving. He was doing something but he could not figure out what he was doing. He was screaming but he could not hear what. He was scared of himself. A searing pain filled the back of his head. He spun around and had enough time to see the shape of a fist hit him right between the eyes.

Pain was a common thing for Gregor to feel. He had felt more pain than probably anyone else his age above or below ground. More scars crossed his body than even the strongest military men. His heart had been thrown around and played with, broken, and put back together more than even the biggest lover boy in his school. He was tormented by recollections of death and destruction. Pain was common and Gregor was used to it.

The pain he felt now, however, was none he had ever felt. His head felt as if it had split in half by someone's bare hands. His heart felt like it was crushed between two blocks of stone. Turned into paste. There was no hope that the pain would ease itself away. No chance that he could save himself from more agony. He tried to open his eyes but the effort to do so was more excruciating than leaving them closed. What was going on with him? He let out a moan and tried to lift his arm. That's when he realized his arms were tied down with restraints. His legs were the same way. What was going on? He continued to struggle to try to break out of them, but there was no chance of it.

"Stop fighting you little troublemaker. They won't take them off," said Ripred from in front of Gregor. Gregor forced his eyes open and his left one burned with pain. He let out a yelp of agony and closed his eye. His right eye though was open and he could finally see where he was. It was a perfectly circular room. He was in the middle strapped down into a chair that had him sitting at an angle looking towards the wall. Sitting in front of him were Ripred, Howard, Vikus, Nerissa, and his parents. His parents. What the hell are they doing here? All six of them had concern etched across their face. "Where am I? What am I doing here? Why am I strapped down? Why does my head feel like someone cleaved it in half with a sword?" The questions spilled out of Gregor's mouth like fast running lava. There was no time for anyone to answer.

"Slow down dear. Everything is okay," his mother said. "You had a bit of an accident and they don't want you hurting yourself. I'm sure they'll let you out once the doctors come back." Gregor still had no clue what was going on. He continued to struggle at the restraints. Maybe he could break them.

"I told you to stop doing that. You aren't going to break them!" Ripred exclaimed with a snarl. Giving up on the restraints he started to think why he was here. The last thing he remembered was hearing Nerissa tell him that his mother would be hurt and he would go on a rampage killing everything. There was a major blank that he needed filled. "Someone please tell me why I'm restrained and why my head hurts?" Nobody wanted to talk. His parents probably knew but did not have a way to explain it. Howard probably could, but he looked away from Gregor when they looked at each other. Vikus and Nerissa looked scared to talk to him, so that left one person. "Ripred, please." He was begging now. Whimpering like a puppy.

"I guess you deserve to know what you did. You are being restrained for your own good. You could really hurt yourself or get into more trouble than needed." Ripred's voice was calm and caring. There was no sarcasm. No wittiness. It was all business. "After Nerissa told you what she told you, you went off. You started to destroy the room. You flipped chairs, ripping the legs off and beating the paintings on the walls. Precious statues destroyed. You chased Vikus and Nerissa from the room and knocked out Howard when he tried to calm you. The room is destroyed. It took 10 guards to calm you and two are in the hospital with injuries. Your head hurts because one guard hit you in the back of the head with a mace, but you didn't stop. You only stopped when someone punched you in the face and knocked you out."

None of this made sense. He was angry yes, but he destroyed a room. Was he that angry? He hurt Howard and guards? Impossible. Howard was such a nice guy and guards usually like Gregor. He almost killed people. What was wrong with him? Why did he not remember any of it? There was something going on here and he had to figure out what.

"I don't remember doing any of that. The last thing I remember was Nerissa telling me something and getting really angry. Then I woke up here. Is something wrong with me?" Nobody wanted to speak. He was an outcast now. There was no use for him anywhere if he couldn't control himself. He would end up killing someone next time. The sound of a key in a lock sprung everyone from the silence. A doctor walked over to Gregor. "It is good to see you awake. Your eye is swollen shut and your skull is cracked. But you do not seem aggressive. We can take you to your regular hospital room now." He undid the restraints and Gregor stood up shakily. His head injury wasn't too bad but it left him slightly off balance. Howard offered him some help and Gregor obliged, leaning on him for support.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Howard. I really had no clue what I was doing."

"I know, Gregor. Ripred thinks he might be able to help you when you are better. You will need to talk to him about it." Of course Ripred could help him. The old rat has seen everything and knows more than most. "How long was I out?"

"A full day." They had entered the hall of the hospital that Gregor was most used to. He had a room that he stayed in more times than he wanted to remember on the hall. The room was right next to the Royal one and Gregor hoped for a chance to see Luxa. Howard, instead steered him into the room and he settled on the bed before Gregor could even ask him for the chance. The bed was much more comfortable than the chair he had been sitting in. So comfortable the he fell back to sleep right away.

His dreams were clouded by a red mist. Images of disturbing. grotesque things flashed in and out of the mist. Dismembered bodies, rotting corpses, a dead Ares, a dying Luxa, a smoking Regalia. Gregor stood rooted to the spot. His feet would not let him move closer to the images. His throat would not let him scream. His eyes would not let him shed tears. The images continued. Dead Vikus, eyeless gnawers, empty shells of dead spinners, dead Luxa. This had to stop. It was so disturbing, that the Gregor in the dream tried to fold into the fetal position. Tried to close his eyes, but it wouldn't let him. He had to watch and watch. Waves of nausea hit his body and racked his body with convulsions. The vomit would not leave him though. His body had to stand and watch. More and more disturbing things came by. Everyone he loved was dying before him. Luxa, Mareth, Vikus, and his mom. That was the last straw.

He forced his leg to move. He ran to his mom who laid on her back a gaping wound in her stomach. The wound was deeper than any Gregor had seen. There was no chance to save her. The tears sprang from his eyes and then his anger hit him. His mind blanked of everything around him. All he saw was the mountain of entities around him. He jumped to his feet drawing two swords that had appeared at his sides. He killed everything: human, gnawer, spinner, crawler, and flier. Nothing stood before him. The carnage he caused finally snapped him from his dreams.

Gregor awoke with a start. He was soaked in sweat and surprisingly some blood. His arm was bleeding from a cut. He looked around to see what he had injured himself on and saw to his own horror that he had clawed his arm open with his own fingers. His nails were covered in blood and some had broken in his own flesh. The pain in his arm was taken over by another pain. Gregor's nails started to grow into claws and his teeth grew into fangs. A fear he didn't know he had raised up from the depth of his chest. He was frightened by what was happening. His back arched in agony as the transformation took place. When the pain finally stopped, his body was nearly the same besides the four inch claws, sharp fangs, and greatly heightened sense of smell. A half-rat half-human.

There was no way he was awake. This had to still be a dream. It's impossible to grow anything like that. The bed was behind him now as he walked out of the room and turned to Luxa's. He opened the door and walked into the room. On the bed laying there still as a board was Luxa. Beautiful as ever and so harmless, but his heart was telling him to kill her. That she was an evil, vile creature. His mind told him he could not murder his love, but his own legs carried over to her.

Her eyes flashed open to see Gregor standing above her. He could see the fear in her eyes. She screamed as his claws flashed down and blood splattered the walls. Wounds erupted across her body as claws swiped her from every direction. The scream continued but morphed into someone elses. A much more familiar one. One he heard too many times to not recognize. It was his mother's. He looked at the body before him and saw not Luxa's but his moms. He broke down and started to scream a loud, agonizing scream. Tears fell from his eyes into the deep wounds on her body. He had killed his own mother.

"Wake up, Gregor. Wake up." Gregor woke with a start. He was laying on the floor covered in only his sweat. He looked down at his hands looking for the claws only to find his usually hands. Finally looking up he saw more people around him than he wanted to see. Two guards, Vikus, Mareth, Howard, three doctors, his dad, Lizzie, and Boots. Why did his sisters have to seem him like this? An incoherent mess. The only two faces he actually wanted to see, however, were kneeling right next to him. His mom and Luxa.

Luxa had concern written all over her face. Her violet eyes stared into his brown ones and a smile erupted on her face. Her regular Gregor was back. He sat up all the way and she embraced him. Gregor had waited for this moment. The moment he could have Luxa back in his arms. He hugged her back and she buried her head in his shoulder. He felt tears wetting his shirt. "I was scared you were hurt. Do not do that again."

"I won't, Luxa. I promise." Gregor replied in a soothing voice while stroking Luxa's hair. Grace gave a small sigh. Her little boy had grown up. Gregor looked up into his mom's face and smiled. She returned the smile and gave the two a hug. Luxa pulled her head from Gregor's shoulder and kissed the tip of his nose. She sat in his arms while he asked questions.

"What happened?" Gregor asked. His dream still fresh in his mind, he trembled and leaned back against the stone of the bed Luxa still in his arms. His dad sat next to him placing an arm on his son's shoulder and his mom watched him from above. Howard and Vikus stood against the wall.

"The guards heard a disturbance in your room. You were speaking in your sleep and rolling around very violently. When the doctor's arrived you had rolled off the bed onto the floor. They tried to wake you and when you would not wake they tried everyone else. Nobody was able to wake you until Luxa showed up and coaxed you awake."

"Your mom could not get you to wake up and started screaming at you." Luxa picked up, "I woke up from the shouts and got irritated at her for screaming, so I came to see what was happening. I saw you on the floor and was so scared. I ran to your side and I guess I have the magic touch to wake up the warrior." Gregor blushed and leaned down and kissed the top of Luxa's head. Luxa blushed a little at his touch They sat silently just Gregor and Luxa. Nobody else spoke and eventually just left the room to leave the young couple alone. After the last person (his mom) left Gregor spoke.

"So you remember me now." Luxa looked at Gregor. She did remember. She remembered everything they had done together. She remembered every feeling she had for him. She remembered she loved the boy who was holding her in his strong arms.

"Yea, I remember everything from before I lost my memory and some of the last two months. I do not remember the last couple days after we went to see the spinners. Other than that though I am doing well. How did you manage to get my memory back anyway? Howard told me you could tell the story better than anyone." Gregor went into a full explanation of the events of that day. She winced and put her hand to the bandage on her head when Gregor told her she jogged her memory by hitting her head. She squeezed herself closer to him when he told her how scared he was that she wouldn't make it and the terrifying flight back to Regalia.

"Thank you for everything, Gregor." And before he could reply she leaned over and kissed him. It was almost exactly like their first kiss. Two kids sitting on the floor leaning against each other for emotional support. The kiss was different though. It felt more natural. It felt like they were doing it because they did actually love each other not because they were scared they would never see each other again. There was passion behind the kiss and the pressure on their lips. They finally broke away for air.

"I missed you so much Luxa. It was hell in the overland without you. I couldn't stand it."

"I missed you, too. I wouldn't leave my chambers and cried more than I thought possible. As you say it was hell." The two sat for hours just glad they could be with each other. Just glad they could hold each other and feel the others warmth. They would have plenty of time to reflect on the events of the past year on another day. All they had right now was to look to the future. A future that had the two of them together.

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**And no cliffy this time. Couldn't come up with a good one. I bet you weren't expecting what happened in this chapter. Any who Review and PM me if you have something that you think will interest me. Also, I have school starting in less than a week so I won't be getting chapters out as often. Maybe only 1 or 2 a week.**


	11. Chapter 11: Worries

**This is a new chapter type i thought of writing after watching some flashback episodes of Prison Break. The chapter was interesting and conveyed somethings that I wanted to do. Some small plot hints are thrown in also.**

**I again want to thank all of the people who leave reviews. Knowing that people love my story and writing makes me feel so good inside. So enjoy!**

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**Chapter 11**

The bed was extremely comfortable. The ornate blankets of every color were warm and comforting. Small noises filled the air. Clink of swords as the guards change shifts, the soft bubbling coming from the still boiling hot cup of tea, and of course the snores coming from the living room.

Luxa sat awake wrapped in the blankets of her bed, her mind as far from sleep as possible. It was focused more on the person who at the moment was sound asleep on the luxurious couch he had slept on the last three nights. Gregor had been up late with her these last few nights just talking about the things he had seen and done while away. After leaving the hospital herself the doctors didn't release Gregor for two more days. Those two days he spent catching up on all his lost sleep. From keeping her alive to saving her city he hadn't slept much at all.

She would always visit on her off time during her now very busy schedule. With war meetings, reconstruction, training, and other duties of queen she had very little time to visit him. When she could get ten or so minutes to herself, she would be found in Gregor's room, holding his sleeping hand or having an idle conversation about her day. He never spoke about himself. Always wanting to hear from her and offering his ever helpful, but sometimes naive advice.

Now sitting there on her bed, sipping from her cup of warm tea, she listened to his snores. They weren't loud and obnoxious snores like that of the guards outside the royal chambers who she caught sleeping more than awake. No. Gregor's snores were soft puffs of air and were relaxing to listen to. Calming even. She let her mind wander. Wander back to their conversation from only mere hours earlier. This is why she couldn't sleep. She was scared by what Gregor had told her. Things that she barely understood.

16 hours earlier

Gregor woke from the most beautiful dream had ever witnessed in his short 13 year life. A dream full of flowers and colorful people who were always just a bit too happy. The only person in the dream who made half a difference to him was the one who was in all of his dreams. The girl who in this dream went on a wonderful erful picnic with him in an awe inspiring meadow filled with flowers of every color. The entire dream was them just sitting and talking like they had the evening before.

"Luxa," Gregor called from the living room towards her bedroom. There was no response from her quarters, so he went to investigate. Maybe for once he was awake before her. Of course his luck had run dry on this day as when he looked in all he saw was her well made bed and no Luxa. Shaking his head in disbelief at how neat she was, he walked towards the exit to the royal chambers unbuttoning his shirt as he went. It was time for a bath and a change of clothes from his room.

Gregor's hand closed on the handle when it turned and the door flew open. An out of breath Hazard barreled into him laughing. He didn't realize it was Gregor at first, as he just bounced off his surprised friend. "Hazard, you okay?"

"Oh, Gregor. I did not see you there." He paused for another second to catch his breath. "I just finished the best lesson ever with Ripred. He taught me some new words today. Words Luxa would not like me to say. Would you like to see?" Gregor nodded and Hazard launched into a spiel of squeaks and clicks. The noises were nerve grinding, but there was no flinch from Gregor. He wanted to see what the young boy was able to do since he last saw him. He was thoroughly impressed.

"That was great, if only I knew what you said," Gregor said before adding hastily, "On second thought, maybe I don't want to know." The two boys stood for a second before breaking into a righteous amount of laughter. Laughter that had no reason. But it was fun.

Gregor was parched and laughing made his throat drier. The laugh turned into a hoarse cough which caused his slightly aching head to ache worse. His hand sprang to the back of his head as he tried to control his coughing. Hazard looked at him concerned and scared, hoping his friend was okay. "Can you get me a glass of water, please," Gregor croaked out once the coughing was under control. Hazard ran to the pitcher on the nearby table and poured a glass for him.

"Thanks." After drinking almost the entire glass he was back to regular Gregor. His voice was back to how it should be. "Do you know where that cousin of yours went? I woke up and she wasn't here." Hazard scowled. He wasn't a hundred percent certain he liked Gregor sleeping on the couch in the royal chambers. But he was happy that Luxa was happy and Gregor was a great guy so what was there to complain about.

"She woke up about an hour ago and went to breakfast. I have not seen her since as I had lessons." Hazard said before leaving Gregor and going into his own room. He watched the younger boy go and again shaking his head in disbelief at how similar Hazard was to Luxa, he opened the door and walked out into the hallway. It was quiet and tranquil. There was no sound coming from the dining room or High Hall. The palace seemed so empty.

On the way to the bath Gregor stopped by the dining room to see the table cleared of everything but a bowl of fruit. What better for breakfast than whatever this fruit is, Gregor thought to himself as he continued his walk to the bath while eating away at a large purple fruit that tasted so sweet it could have been pure sugar. It was juicy to and by the time he had reached his regular bath his shirt was covered in purple juice.

"Look at that. Can't even keep a shirt clean when all he is doing is eating," roared a sarcastic voice from down the hall. Gregor turned his head slowly and saw exactly who he thought he would see and one other he didn't. Ripred was walking down the hallway with his mother. "It's too early, Ripred. Let me take a bath and then you can insult me all day.." Turning to his mom he softened up. "Morning, mom," he said giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"So you're nice to her just because she's your mom. I'm not important enough for you to be nice to," Ripred said faking sadness. Then his tone changed and he spoke again. "I have something I want to talk to you about, boy. In our usual place in one hour." With that Ripred and his mom continued walking and talking about whatever they had been talking about leaving Gregor alone in front of the bathroom.

As Gregor settled into his bath his head was racing. What exactly did Ripred want to talk about? His anger issues. The violent tendencies that went with his anger issues. Maybe even him and Luxa. You could never tell with him. Sometimes he just wanted to talk about how bad somebody was at something. But even at that moment Gregor was almost certain it had to do with his anger. he thought back to Howard's words before he was put into the hospital. _Ripred thinks he might be able to help you when you are better. You will need to talk to him about it_. This was his shot to talk to him.

Grabbing a towel from the pile in the corner, he dried himself off. He always forgets how absorbent the towels are and keeps trying to dry himself long after he already is dry. Throwing the towel into a dirty pile he grabbed the new clean clothes. They had been giving him different types now to see what he like the most. So far he had been given shirts like polos, t-shirts- button down shirts, and tank tops. His favorite was the button down. The pants were almost always the same. If he could train he would be wearing the slightly tighter spandex type pants. Right now he had the looser pants that he wore every day. His clothes today were a light purple, not too far from the color of the juice of the fruit he had eaten earlier.

He threw the clothes on and felt so much more relaxed. He had found a habit of leaving the top few buttons on his shirt undone because it felt nice and let him show off his toned chest. A few weeks ago he would have been self conscious of this but down in the underland no one cared. He started to head down to the meeting place but his mind got side tracked. Maybe he still had time to find Luxa and say good morning. Probably not though. He had no clue where she was and how much time he had left in the hour. He would probably see her at lunch anyway.

With his mind made up he walked slowly hands in his pockets down through the palace. The halls that had just a few days ago had housed refugees were basically empty. There would be one or two here and there because they had nowhere else to go because there houses had been destroyed. They waved at him and thanked him for his assistance and for everything he had done. He was still quite a popular person in Regalia. Maybe too popular.

A single person was sitting along the wall in a hall with no one else. There wasn't even a room on it. The man looked old and frail and entirely alone. Gregor stopped next to him and stooped down. "Hello, sir. How are you doing?" The man looked at him and gave him a devious smile. A smile with only a few yellowed teeth. He did not speak though. Gregor was surprised. Most people at least said hello even if they did not like him. Standing he gave the man one more look and continued on his way.

That is when he heard the distinctive sound of steel on leather. He turned around to see the old man on his feet and charging him with a long, serrated dagger. He was screaming wicked things at Gregor. Things Gregor would never repeat in any decent persons company. He blamed Gregor for being poor and homeless. For being who he was.

Gregor reached down for his sword, but he did not have it on him. It was in his room where he left it every night as he wasn't allowed to have it in the royal chambers. The man was on top of him in an instance, swinging his nasty dagger around. Gregor dodged each swipe with ease. There was no skill with this dagger, no skill behind the swings. He was just a frustrated old man. After who knows how many swings the man stumbled and Gregor made his move.

He lunged and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it. The dagger fell from his hand and clattered to the floor, but Gregor did not release his wrist. Instead he kicked the man's legs out from under him, dropping him to the floor. He begged for mercy, hoping Gregor would not kill him, but Gregor had no plan for that. The man's arm was extended straight up with his wrist in Gregor's hand. Gregor picked his foot up and kicked the man clean in his elbow. The break would be a serious one. One that would not heal easily. His arm was bent at such a strange angle that the back his hand could almost touch his shoulder.

The scream that filled the hall was impossibly loud and agonizing to hear. The scream died down into just a muted whimper. The sound of running came from either end of the halls replacing all other sounds. A gaggle of guards burst around the corner from the end of the hall that Gregor had come from. From the other end Ripred and surprisingly his father came bustling into view. Gregor was standing there over a wounded man with Guilt written across his face.

"What did you do to this man?" the officer of the guard commanded of him. Gregor had not moved since the men had arrived. He had not spoken a word. His dad was standing behind him and Gregor could feel his eyes boring into the back of his head. There was guilt in his heart, but he couldn't get the guts up to speak. "I asked you a question. Now answer it."

Gregor did not speak. There was no reason he had to explain himself. He turned from the officer and walked away down the hall towards Ripred and his dad. The guards ran after him. They wanted an answer as to what happened. Gregor felt the tip of a sword on his back and felt men moving on either side of him. He knew he had to tell them if he wanted to get on with his day. "Fine. If you want to know why I snapped that man's arm at the elbow I'll tell you. I walked by him and saw him sitting alone, so I stopped to talk to him. He didn't respond and i got up to leave. As soon as I walked five steps he drew a blade on me and ran at me calling me nasty names and blaming me for his life problems. I disarmed him and broke his arm for good measure. Happy now?"

The guards looked at him dazed. None of them could believe that he could win during a surprise attack and with such ease and without an injury. Brushing past the guards he walked calmly out of the hall, feeling every single person's eyes on his back. He walked all the way to his echolocation cavern by himself. The large stone door sat before him and finally his adrenaline left him and his mind finally thought about what the hell had just happened to him.

"Someone tried to kill me. A random person who blamed me for his issues. His problems. His poverty. How could I have done that? I have never met him or even talked to him," Gregor spoke his thoughts aloud, slumping to the floor. He buried his head in his hands and allowed himself to relive what had happened. The sounds rushed through his head. The regular sound of a drawing blade, the swishing of the blade through the air, metal clattering on stone, and the sound of cracking bones.

"You okay, Gregor." The sound of his dad's voice brought him back to reality. He looked up into his father's still thin face. The anxiety was easily seen on it. "Yeah, I'm fine for someone who someone just tried to kill."

"Let's go inside and we can talk about this along with our other planned conversation," Ripred said from behind his father. The two men stood up and followed the rat into the room. A lantern was lit in the middle of the room and for once Gregor could see the rough hewn rock of the wall and the smooth stone floor. There were three chairs sitting around the lantern and two were already occupied by his father and Ripred who had sat down. Gregor took the last chair.

"So that man tried to kill you, eh. Blamed you for his problems. He's a common street rat and probably would have targeted anyone. You did good by just injuring him. I'm completely surprised we didn't have a dead man to bury." Ripred said before catching the look both Gregor and his father were giving him. The words were exactly the opposite of what Gregor wanted to hear. Ripred had expected him to kill the man. "We would have if I had my sword. but why did you expect me to kill him?"

"This brings me right to where I wanted our original conversation. You anger issue isn't a regular anger issue." Ripred said before Gregor cut him off.

"Not a regular anger issue. What do you mean?"

"I was getting there but you interrupted." Ripred barked. "No more interruptions." After waiting for Gregor's nod he continued. "You are a rager and thus you already have improved fighting capabilities. You are a born killer, but you have gotten that under control. You only kill when needed and don't do so when it is unnecessary. I on the other hand did not at the beginning. I was young and had been out hunting. A human woman was out in the deadlands for some reason. A reason that I never learned. When she saw me she tried to talk to me but I got violent. I slaughtered her."

Gregor could not figure out where Ripred was going with this, but he did not interrupt. Ripred would get there eventually.

"I was very confused as to why I had become so violent to an innocent woman when at the time there was no conflict between gnawers and humans. I was scared. This was the first time my rager side showed itself. I ran away from my mother and wandered the deadlands alone. Once news got out about me being a rager, I was scorn and became an outcast because of my brutality. But like you I learned to control it. In your case though there is more much more. I have done my reading in the great library of Regalia. There have been only two documented cases of your issue."

"You are telling me something is wrong with me. Am I sick or something?" Gregor blurted out. He could not sit and listen to this without knowing exactly what the heck was going on with him. A condition that only had two known cases was a little hard for Gregor to believe.

"Nothing is wrong with you and you are not sick. You have a condition related to your rager side. It taps into your emotions and when you become overly emotional you become violent or immensely angry. Your rager side takes over and it is hard to control. You seem to have been able to control it before like when you got angry with Perdita. Other times not so much. The main thing about this is that when it takes over you don't remember what you are doing or who anyone is. It is extremely dangerous, but if you can learn to control it, it will be extremely useful."

Gregor was dumbstruck. Every time he got angry it felt like his rager side was taking over. When he broke his hand, yelled at Perdita, and destroyed Sandwich's chamber he felt rage and then did things he normally wouldn't. He had problems remembering some of these too. "What happened to the two cases before?"

"Both were executed for brutal murders of their own species. One was a gnawer and another a human." The words were worse than Gregor had thought. He was hoping they had been banished not executed. There was doubt in his mind now. If he slipt up there he would be flying off the cliff with no hope of being saved. He couldn't take anymore.

Gregor leapt to his feet and darted from the room. The stone door pushed open and he ran into the hall almost running over someone who was standing just outside the room. Gregor didn't look at who it was nor did he care. I could have been anybody. Gregor ran back up through the halls his mind to full of this new information. Anyone who wanted to talk to him would check his usual places like his room or the royal chambers. There was one place he could go to think: the prophecy room. He pushed open the heavy wooden door and found the room dark and empty. He closed the door and sat down to think.

There he sat for hours silent. He kept himself busy thinking though all his anger and rage he had felt. All the times he had yelled at someone or hit something. There was only once where he completely lost his memory, but other times were sketchy. He felt terrible and had no way of controlling his emotions. Several times he felt his anger peaking and had to calm himself down. His stomach ached for food but he didn't want to leave his peace.

Noises came from outside the door. Footsteps and voices sounded in the hall outside. He could not make out was speaking or what was said but he figured out the gist when the door creaked open. The silhouette of a woman stood in the light. It was not an imposing figure,however. It was thin and cloaked. Frail even.

"Hey, Nerissa," Gregor said.

"We have been looking for you everywhere. It is time for you to attend dinner. Come we can walk together." Gregor could not refuse her offer; he clambered to his feet and walked over to her offering his arm. She looped hers in his and the two walked to the dining hall talking quietly about their lives. The table was not as crowded as usual. There were only six seats and four of them were already occupied. Luxa sat at the head, his parents each had a seat on one side, and Ripred had the other end. Gregor and Nerissa walked to their given seats and sat down.

Luxa gave Gregor a concerned look and reached her hand out to his. Gregor grasped her hand in his and held on. Her touch was comforting and reassuring. Just being near her made him feel better. She was the one person he could confide him. Servants carried out dishes of food Gregor had eaten before. Food that was so delicious that he couldn't stop eating. Having skipped lunch and barely had anything for breakfast he ate more than he figured he could. The conversations made him laugh and his worries started to wash away. His concerns of hurting people was gone. His friends made sure of that.

As the final dishes cleared from the table, his parents wished everyone a good evening and left for their room, Ripred yawned and left after them, and Nerissa muttered something about a prophecy. Luxa and Gregor were left at the table alone. The first time they were alone that day and the first time since Gregor had learned of his condition.

"We should go back to my chambers and talk. You have a lot to get off of your mind, right?" Luxa said grabbing his hand and half dragging him from the room. Not liking being dragged, Gregor put on his brakes and pulled her back to him. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. "Let's go slowly. We have all evening."

Present

Her tea cup was empty and she was warm from the number of blankets she had wrapped around her. She was nervous about Gregor. Concerned and worried. She sat back and listened to her love breathing. It was still relaxed and calm. Slow and steady. He was the definition of calm.

She stepped out of her bed and padded towards the small kitchen on the other side of the living room. Her long gown trailed behind her as she walked as quietly as her bare feet would allow. As she passed Gregor he grunted and rolled over right off the couch. He woke with a start and stared up in the darkness. Luxa stared back down at him and smiled reaching down to help him up.

"Have you been awake all night?" he asked her. She nodded and continued towards the kitchen. Gregor followed her. Now it was his turn to be concerned. She was the queen and she had to get some rest. She could not be up late at night. "Luxa why are you up still?"

She did not answer him right away. She went about making up to cups of herbal tea. As soon as she had the tea ready she spoke. "Gregor, I'm worried about you. I'm scared that something might happen to you." Realization dawned on him. He was nervous for himself and she was nervous for him. There was nothing he could suggest. He watched her drinking her tea. The good thing was it had very little caffeine, so if he could get her to sleep everything would be good.

"What can I do to make you sleep? If you can't sleep because you're concerned about me, then it should me who helps you sleep." His words were caring and he kept his stare looked on her. Her eyes looked up at his and she saw everything she needed to see in them. She made her mind up and put her tea down wrapping her arms around his neck. Her words were calm and well thought out. "I'll sleep if I know you're safe because you are my everything. And the easiest way to make sure you stay safe is to be in the same room with me. Why not come sleep in my bed with me?" The words hit Gregor. She wanted him to sleep in her room. No, in her bed. This would be a big step in their relationship, but it was worth it if she was able to sleep comfortably. If she felt safe and felt secure with him there then what could he do.

"I'd love to."

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**Yep, I think this was a genius way of doing this chapter. And the ending was something I came up with while editing. I hope you enjoy and write me a review or hit me up with a PM. I love to answer questions or worries.**

**Thank You for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: Fisticuffs

**Chapter 12 is here and it is rockin it full force. I have some unexpected things in here. Anyway beyond the story we have the author. Me! And I'm starting my Junior year in high school. My first day was the today and I just realized how much harder I made the hardest year of high school. I'm going to have so much Homework, but I'm going to try to prevent that from keeping me away from my writing.**

**Shoutout to a guest named Jenny who always leaves such sweet and awesome reviews that warm my heart. I thank you again.**

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**Chapter 12**

It was early morning and the palace was just awakening. The bustle of the day was beginning and everyone's daily routines were under way. Merchants were busy opening shops and cleaning windows and porches. Farmers were tilling the fields or checking irrigation channels. The guards changed shifts to allow for a fresh pair of eyes to watch over the city. But this time the most important person's schedule was in the rearview mirror as she was in a bliss she had never experienced in her rather short life. Luxa was sound asleep, in the deepest sleep she had been in since her parent's deaths. She was calm and she barely moved in her sleep. Her dreams were not of death and destruction, but of warm relations and happy days. She even had a smile in her sleep.

Sleeping right next to her with his arms wrapped around her slender figure was Gregor. There was no concern of him waking at this hour as his routine was much more laid back. Much less important than his partners and he was not needed for anything this early. He himself was sleeping better than he had recently. His dreams had been plagued by more murder and death than one boy could handle. Tonight his dreams while not necessarily the happiest thing he had ever seen were steps ahead of his previous nights. He didn't mutter in his sleep and his light snores filled the large room. The two slept on looking like the happy couple they were.

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A pair of eyelids fluttered open at the sound of a door opening and the light patter of feet on a stone floor. Luxa came to her senses and felt the strong arms that encompassed her body. The rare smile on her face grew larger. She was trapped unless she woke up the hulk sleeping behind her. Gently she tapped his shoulder and was met with the lovely site of his brown eyes. They were cloudy with sleep still.

"Morning sleepy. Do you think you could let me go?" Luxa whispered to Gregor her breath tickling his nose. After a moment he reluctantly released her from his grip. She sat upright and looked out towards the doorway to her room. The sound of soft footsteps had gone and was now met by the soft drone of discussion out in the living room. Gregor will not mind me leaving she thought as she glanced over at her half awake boyfriend that was spread eagle on her bed. He was one lazy boy but he looked more handsome than she had ever seen him. His bare chest was so toned and she could see the beginning of some toned abs coming in. Amazed at her revelation she grabbed her robe and padded out of the room passed the curtain that covered the entrance.

To her surprise the room had several occupants. Vikus, Howard, Hazard, and Ripred sitting on the couches in the living room. The couches that usually contained a sleeping Gregor. As she walked into the room the four men turned and each gave a warm welcoming smile. "Good Morning, Luxa. You seem to have slept well." Vikus said while motioning for Luxa to take a seat next to him.

"And long. It's getting late you majesty," Ripred said. "Did you forget the war meeting this morning?" She had in fact forgotten about the meeting and truly did not mind it. She could care less about listening to General Claudius ranting about spinner positions and reconnaissance missions. She only cared when she was assigned a negotiating mission with well to be allies.

"I apologize for oversleeping. I hope you managed the meeting without me sitting in and babysitting you, Ripred." Ripred's nostrils flared at her scorning words. Her words were sharp as daggers. The two stubborn creatures glared at each other until a calming voice broke the tension which shattered like a pane of glass. "That is enough from the both of you. Luxa, you cannot just oversleep important meetings and blow off your duties. Especially this morning. There were many things we had planned to discuss with you. Some of them included Gregor."

At Gregor's name she felt a flood of fear and joy. They had news in a war meeting that involved her and Gregor, which could only be a mission of some sorts. But if they found him in her room there would be hell to pay. They would both have consequences; his would certainly be more severe. A cold chill ran up her spine and her body trembled. No one noticed.

"Has anyone seen him today? Usually he sleeps in later than this, but obviously he isn't here now," Howard said a bit nonchalantly. He had approved their relationship but did not like Gregor sleeping in the royal chambers. He had a bedroom so he should use it. These thoughts were reflected by only one of the other three guys in the room. Hazard found it unnecessary for Gregor to sleep in the royal chamber. And he had his reason for sitting here on the couch right now. He knew exactly where Gregor was and wasn't afraid to share it.

"Gregor is in Luxa's bedroom right now. He spent the night in there." He spoke the words with a hate unknown from the boy. Four pairs of eyes looked across at Luxa. Bore into her and made her squirm. The glares of pain, shock, hate, and surprisingly joy made her quite uncomfortable. Vikus was shaking his head in disapproval.

"Luxa, what are you doing with Gregor? He cannot be sleeping with you. Bad things could happen and you are so young." Vikus' tone was parent like. "You are a queen so act like one!" His voice rose and he was nearly yelling at her by the time he finished speaking. Luxa tried to make herself smaller in the little space of the couch she had.

"I am not sorry for my behavior. I could not sleep because I was scared for Gregor and his condition. He could comfort me and make me sleep so I let him. It was the best I had slept since my parents death." Her strong words caused everyone to recoil a little if only for a second. Howard jumped to his feet and walked towards her room, his jaw set in determination and his fists clenched at his sides. Everyone watched as he approached the curtain that covered the entrance to her room. He pushed it aside and punched whatever was standing behind it.

* * *

Gregor laid in bed watching as his beautiful girl walked out of the room. His eyes followed her out of the room, watching the sway of her hips. He grinned in satisfaction and grabbed a pillow, clutching it to his bare chest. There he was the laziest boy the underland had ever seen, with the most beautiful girlfriend, but what was he to do today. He wasn't allowed to train for another day according to Howard and he was never welcome into any meetings as he was not of either senior ranking or royalty. He could go see his family again or maybe spend some time in the shops of Regalia. There was not much to do for the famous Warrior.

The sounds of discussion drifted through the curtain that separated Luxa's private quarters from the rest of the royal chambers. Gregor was intrigued by what was going on, so he slipped from the bed and quietly tip-toed to beside the door. The heavy curtain still muffled much of the conversation, but he was able to pick up a few words. Particularly his own name. Why are they talking about me Gregor thought. He listened on with very few words making it to his ears. If he was going to eavesdrop he might as well pick up what they were saying, so he pushed the curtain to the side enough to hear.

"Gregor is in Luxa's room right now. He spent the night in there." Gregor heard the words that originated from a young Hazard's mouth. The little snitch had just given away where he was and now Gregor was scared. He was probably not supposed to be in here especially this early and he definitely wasn't supposed to be sleeping in the same bed as the queen. The rest of the discussion was drowned out and Gregor ran to grab his shirt which he pulled over his head and buttoned it up til only the top four buttons were unbuttoned.

He took a deep breath and walked towards the curtain and pulled it back a little bit and heard Luxa defending their actions. His pride for her rose and he loved her even more. Gregor could not see much of the room from the small crack and could not see who else was in the room besides Luxa and Ripred. There seemed to be a small disturbance though and Gregor heard urgent footsteps approaching the room; he hid behind the curtain. A strong hand grabbed the curtain and ripped it to one side revealing a fuming Howard. His face was twisted in rage and if it had been possible smoke would have been blowing from his ears. Before Gregor could react Howard's fist was raised and driven straight into his nose.

Gregor was thrown from his feet with the force of the punch. He landed hard on the floor and slumped over. The warm trickle of blood ran over his mouth and onto his chin dripping onto the floor. Now to go with his cracked skull and healing broken hand he had a broken nose to deal with. Howard however was intent on doing much more as he was standing above him, fists clenched. Gregor tried to sit up, but he was met with a boot to the stomach. The breath left him and he clutched at his gut. He could hear Luxa screaming, perhaps sobbing for Howard to stop and Vikus yelling at Howard for his inappropriate actions. There was a time and place for calm discussions and this was not one of them.

Gregor feigned weakness. He acted like the kick was much worse than it was. He forced his breathing to be much heavier and acted like it was hard to get up. As he started to get up Howard's foot was moving toward him again, but Gregor was ready. Howard's foot met thin air as Gregor had jumped to his feet and back flipped to the side. It was a good thing Luxa's room was large. Howard was surprised by the turn of events and was just turning when Gregor launched himself at him. The first punch landed on Howard's eye and before he even had time to recoil the second hit him clean in the stomach. The older boy doubled over with the wind knocked out him. Gregor grabbed him and drove his knee into Howard's face which threw Howard onto the floor right next to the exit. He was laying on his stomach trying to catch his breath. His face was already bruised and bloody from the furious attack.

Gregor walked over to him and bent over grabbing him by the neck of his shirt and the waist of his pants. Howard may have been taller and heavier, but Gregor had superior strength. He lifted him bodily and threw him from the room. The nice thud on the other side told Gregor that Howard had hit something. As he pushed his way through the curtain he saw that Howard had collided with an antique vase breaking it into hundreds of pieces. The man was not moving and was presumably knocked out. Gregor stepped over him and slumped onto a couch.

"Gregor, p-p-please stand up. I d-do not want yo-you to get blood on the co-couch." Luxa was shaking and was clearly frightened by the site. She had not seen the fight but the aftermath was pretty obvious. Her cousin knocked out and bloody and her boyfriend bleeding and bruised. At the word blood though, Gregor remembered his bleeding nose which was still pouring blood out quite badly. He ripped his shirt off and pressed it to his nose before turning to look around the room. Ripred was looking at Howard and Vikus and Hazard were both sitting on the couch rather formally. Hazard was scared and Vikus looked very disappointed. Nobody spoke until Ripred returned to them.

"Howard will be fine. He is just knocked out from the impact." The words were directed to Vikus, Luxa, and Hazard. He now turned and looked Gregor right in the eyes. "You did good, boy. I was almost certain after Howard punched you that you would have gone ballistic. But you kept yourself composed and didn't let your rage take you over." Gregor just nodded and closed his eyes, before he started pacing.

"Gregor I have something I want to tell you and Luxa," Vikus told him after a few minutes of watching Gregor pacing. Gregor opened his eyes and removed the shirt from his nose to see if it was still bleeding. It had finally stopped. He took a seat across from Vikus and Luxa sat down next to him taking his hand. She gave it a reassuring squeeze and looked at Gregor's blood streaked and bruised face. "You and Luxa have a remarkable relationship. One that I have approved of since I knew of you feelings for each other. But you can not take it to far to soon. The council will have problems if they find out what more is happening between you two. They do not mind the relationship, but everything else could get us all in trouble."

Luxa's jaw was set to make a huge statement, but Gregor leaned over and whispered in her ear. Her expression changed and was soon laughing. A smile crossed Gregor's face and he winced from the pain. The bruise on his face was much worse and more painful than he thought. Turning to the others he addressed them, "I understand your concerns, and I fully see the situation that we put you in. But you make it sound like we are doing things that are considered taboo. That are more or less illegal or explicit. All that happened was Luxa was scared so I comforted her and the way I did it was by sleeping at her side. I would never do anything more than that." He paused looking into each person's eyes. Ripred was unreadable, but he did not matter too much. Vikus was nodding in understanding, but his eyes showed hurt and trouble. Hazard was as clear as a book. He was angered and looked at Gregor with disgust. "And I obviously do not understand the council's involvement in this, but I doubt they would care if the queen was with the legendary Warrior would they?"

A crunch of ceramic from the side told Gregor that their sleeping friend had awoken, but before he could look at him he was punched in the side of the head. He slumped to the side, seeing stars and then the pressure on his neck began. Howard was strangling him from behind, his arm wrapped around Gregor's throat constricting his airway. Luxa was immediately beating at Howard's chest and arm to get him to stop, but her attacks were futile. Howard was determined to sap the life out of him. The blackness was enveloping Gregor when a scream of pain filled the air behind him. The pressure on his neck subsided and Gregor jumped to his feet catching his breath and massaging his sore neck. Standing next to him was Ripred who had slapped Howard's hand with his whip like tail.

"Enough! Howard you lost and your attack was unreasonable and unwise. Sit down. Now!" Ripred snarled at Howard pushing Gregor into the couch opposite the one Howard sat down on. He was sitting next to Luxa who scooted as far away from him as possible. The tension in the room was so thick it could be sliced with a knife like a loaf of bread. Howard glared at Gregor with loathing eyes.

"You may say it is unwise to attack such trash, but I think it was plenty wise. I may have given him my blessing to have relations with Luxa, but I never gave him permission to do anything else. The council would never have given him permission to do such things. They would never allow an overlander in the bed of the queen. I now have no feelings towards the child before me." Gregor stood up and lunged towards Howard, his eyes filled with rage and an anger so strong he had never felt such before. Ripred knocked Gregor back onto the couch with his tail and held him down. Gregor fought to try to get out of the grip. He furiously fought and wrestled with the much heavier Ripred. He was so deeply angered that he believed there was no way for it to go away, but a voice in the back of his head told him to calm down. He was stuck in a hard place between wanting to rip Howard's throat out or just being calm and talking. Being calm won out and Gregor finally sat limp and Ripred let him go.

"So now we can't even be friends. And what do you mean the council would never allow an overlander to be in bed with the queen. What's wrong with overlanders?" Gregor asked the last question with venom. Vikus now rose and addressed Howard. "Howard are you telling me that you dislike Gregor now because you do not want an overlander on the throne? That is greedy and disturbing. Luxa can not marry for a little over two years now and you should be proud for the fact that she may have already found the boy that she wants to. And then she will still have a choice to make." The words directed at Howard were filled with the poison of an angered friend and, more importantly, grandfather. When he addressed Gregor though he was back to the calm and collected old man that Gregor loved. "Now Gregor, he never meant there was anything wrong with overlanders. In fact we enjoy the company of overlanders. He believes that the council would never allow an overlander to become king which is finalized when the man that marries the queen finally sleeps in the same bed as her. If he never does he can not be officially crowned king. And the council determines the men that can court the queen. So, he believes that the council carries his view and they will not allow an overlander to court Luxa. But a majority of the council likes you Gregor, so there should be no problem about them not allowing it." Vikus walked over to the door and addressed everyone. "This discussion is over and we shall all part ways and get about our business. Luxa and Gregor, you are needed in the war room as soon as you possibly can."

With those words everyone left the room. Howard was the last to the door and before he left he looked back at Gregor. He motioned his thumb across his throat in a very common gesture. "We may have been friends once, but now we are through. I will never consider you a friend of mine. I will make sure you never get a chance to sleep in Luxa's bed ever again." And with that the door clanged shut. Gregor was shaken up that when Luxa tried to embrace him he wouldn't allow her to. There was no reason for Howard to be so mad at him. He had not known of these rules or any of the implications of what he had done. The small bath was only a few steps away so he stepped in to clean up for the meeting he would be attending. The blood caked on his face was pretty bad and the bruise was a nice shade of black. His nose was a little crooked to one side. There would be time to fix that later. With a quick wash though he would look decent enough to attend. The cold water stung at the bruise although it felt good to get the blood away from his mouth. The water in the sink ran red before being swept away down stream.

As soon as the blood was washed away, he felt back to normal. Bruises weren't bad and his nose had moved itself back into place when he was scrubbing the blood from his face. Fresh clothes were left outside of the room and he threw them on without looking at them. He stepped out of the small washroom still buttoning the shirt when Luxa emerged from her larger bath in a tight fitting training outfit. It showed off her body so much better than her formal gowns and robes. She looked more natural and comfortable and he felt more at home with this girl than the queen version. She looked over at him and shook her head, a lovely grin plastered on her face.

"You have to stop staring at me, Gregor." He shook himself from his trance and pranced over to her a frown on his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. The two stood there looking each other in the eyes before they kissed, a deep passionate kiss. They both knew the unspoken apologies behind the kiss. When they broke away both were smiling. He took her hand and the two walked to the doors.

"I am so sorry for Howard's behavior today. I am sure he did not mean anything he said to you. He was just angry." Luxa had hoped this would quell any anger that Gregor was housing, but instead it only made it worse. His smile was replaced by his uncustomary frown and his posture dropped. His steps became less firm and he barely picked his feet up. Finally he just stopped and turned to Luxa grabbing her other hand in his own. "You have no reason to be sorry for what he did because he did everything of his own accord and out of his own anger. I'm scared of what he might try to do and what I might have to do myself."

"Gregor there is no need to be scared. If anyone can protect themselves it is you. And if he tries anything you have every right to fight back. You have my word that nothing will happen to you." She leaned up and tenderly kissed his cheek. The warmth of her lips on Gregor's face made his muscles move. He smiled again and his spirits were lifted from the depths of hell to the highest peak of heaven. He released her hands and gently grabbed her by her waist, raising her in the air and spinning her around. The happy couple could be heard laughing around the castle and anyone who walked by couldn't help but smile. He finally put her back on her feet and she leaned against the wall for support because she was so giddy. A question came to Gregor's mind and he asked it without thinking of the consequences behind it. "Luxa what is the rule for marriage here?"

"Rule for marriage? What do you mean?" The question had taken Luxa completely by surprise and had no good answer for him. But then it clicked. Was he trying to ask her to marry him? Or was he just wondering some more things about the underland?

"Umm... well I guess I'm wondering whether I could... what I mean is how old do you have to be to get married and are there any formalities to it? And I'm just wondering." Gregor spoke fast and stumbled over his words. He is nervous to get an answer Luxa thought. This could be good and bad. "Well, for starters the legal age to get married in Regalia is 14. But royalty has to wait until they turn 16 to be courted by men approved by the council." Luxa saw that Gregor was still smiling. He really must have been just wondering how we do things. "And we do everything else like in the overland. An engagement ring and then the big wedding. The ceremony is identical as well or at least that is what I have read.'

"That is great to hear. If only you weren't royalty we could get married really soon. But of course I'll just have to wait another two years." Gregor's voice did not show the same emotions as his face. There was deep seated disappointment and frustration behind his voice. Luxa saw what appeared to be a tear forming in Gregor's eye but he turned away and walked on down the hall. She hurriedly caught up to him and grabbed his arm. Gregor turned still wearing a noticeably forced smile.

"Gregor, I don't know what to say. I am honored that you wish to marry me, but I can not break rules. I have to wait to marry. It is not my choice and not yours either. You must be patient like me. Please."

"I can wait. I really can and when the time comes I will be ready. When is your birthday anyway. That is one of those things I don't know about you." Luxa smiled realizing that the regular Gregor was back. Sometimes he just disappeared into himself and forgot about how others saw things. It was such a strange trait for such a brave person.

"My birthday is in two weeks exactly. You better have a gift for me. And A nice one at that."

"Oh I will have something for you. And you better have something for me. Mine is just a bit before yours I think. I'm not exactly sure what date it is in the overland, but my birthday was three weeks from the day I came back."

The two young teenagers were truly starting to know each other. Getting to know the more intricate details of their relationship beyond their heart felt pains and fears. Their damages and issues. They were starting to get to know the other as a person so much better than they had before. And they enjoyed doing it.

"We have a war room to get to. Let's get going." Gregor said to Luxa grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hallway behind him. She was right there beside him as the young couple ran together to what would become the most dangerous mission of their lives.

* * *

**And now I have made myself several fun plot points to play with. I have devious plans for coming chapters. I also need to start getting an Idea in my head on whether or not you guys would like to see a sequel or not. I'm leaning towards a yes myself. Review and PM ideas or whatever your crazy minds come up with.**


	13. Chapter 13: Mission Statement

**Finally I got this written and posted. Had me some trouble with this chapter. Has the plot in my head, but not how I wanted it to happen. I'll just say three rewrites and five revision processes and it is here. I wrote this in one day after I got mad at the second one I wrote for three days. I read that one and it sucked so I wrote this version instead. **

**Also school is going well for only being there 4 days.**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

The meeting room was utterly deserted beyond the two lone figures at the long table. The two were incredibly preoccupied by the maps and documents on the table to notice their guests enter. Gregor and Luxa stood rooted to the spot, two steps inside the room. They were waiting to be summoned in. It was awkward to stand there like this, Gregor thought. If Luxa is the queen why are they not even noticing.

"_Cough. _Excuse me. Me and Luxa are here." Two heads shot up from the table and looked at the pair in the door. Gregor recognized them at once. It was General Claudius and good old Mareth. Gregor noted that they looked annoyed to be disturbed from their work, but also slightly happy to see the two teens.

"Please, come in and sit. We have much to discuss and much to confirm. Would you like some tea?" Before either of them answered Claudius walked over to a food cart and grabbed a teapot and four small tea cups. He placed them on the table and filled them all with steaming tea. "Drink. It is my own recipe."

Gregor sipped and noted the warmth and the hint of honey. The tea was surprisingly delicious. Here he was sitting in a room devoted for the planning of war, drinking a cup of homemade tea from a General. Who in their right mind could come up with that?

"Why did you call for us?" Luxa asked to no one in particular. Gregor noticed she had not touched her tea and sat very properly with her hands in her lap. It was very formal and not at all how Luxa usually sat at a meeting.

"Well, we called for you because we have a request for Gregor," Mareth answered in a much kinder manner than how he was asked. Gregor loved that about him. His composer was always there and he rarely got angry unless there was danger. And then there was the news of a request. It was probably another mission to escort a negotiation team to speak with who knows who. He only went the first time for Luxa's sake and he doubted she would go again.

"What is it?" Gregor asked harsher than he meant. The words were meant to be inquisitive not sharp and heated like a piece of steel at a forge. But what could he do after he said it?

"Oh, I think you will enjoy this. Please come stand with me at the map. There is much to discuss." Gregor stood and walked with Claudius to the end of the table, Mareth and Luxa a few steps behind. The maps were crowded with information. More information than Gregor thought they could put on a map. He had seen maps of the underland before, but he never paid much attention to the details.

You could easily see all the regions of the underland and who controlled what. There was markings for resource points such as minerals and rare rock deposits. It showed landmarks that Gregor hadn't even seen on his travels through the underground caverns and tunnels. The rivers that flowed were marked and their heights and speeds were recorded at regular intervals. The map to be honest was the most amazing that Gregor had ever seen.

"Gregor. Gregor are you still with us?"

Gregor looked up from the map and over to the three other in the room. They were all staring and smiling at him. "What, uhh.. yea I'm still here. What was it that you were saying?" They all laughed, Claudius with a big bellowing laugh. Mareth's was a strong laugh, but not nearly as loud as the General's and then Luxa's was soft and could barely be considered a laugh. But to Gregor it was the cutest laugh he had ever heard. He smiled a large, dorky smile and joined in with a snicker of his own.

As the laughing subsided the hominess of the room subsided with it. They had drank tea and had a good laugh, but now it was time for business. There was something important they needed to show Gregor or else they would not have even asked him to come.

"So as I was saying, we have an important request of you. You are a stupendous fighter, a resourceful young man, and a caring person. That is a rare combination and that is why you are the Warrior and why we have chosen you for our current assignment..." Claudius said, starting to rant, looking Gregor right in the eyes. Gregor just wanted to get to the point and find out what he needed to prepare for. He stared into Claudius' eyes, his face showing urgency and annoyance. Claudius immediately stopped talking and turned back to his map, leaving the floor to Mareth.

"Claudius had been planning that speech for a week. It was his pride and joy. More so than even this assignment we have planned for you, Gregor. As Claudius said already we chose you not because you are the Warrior, but because you have the capability to accomplish this. Gregor we are asking you to assassinate the leaders of this war. To assassinate Queen Verex and the leader of the rebel gnawers Slipsnout."

Gregor's jaw dropped and kept dropping. If not for the tendons and stuff that connected his jaw to his body it would have fallen to the floor. His hearing stopped after the word assassinate and he didn't catch the rest of what Mareth said. It was a mission that he wasn't sure he could possibly accomplish. Gregor stood there with a dumb look on his face for several long moments. His mouth then slowly closed as the gears in his head were moving so fast that he guessed the entire palace should be able to hear it.

He looked around the room. Luxa was standing a little behind him and her face was equally shocked. Both Mareth and Claudius were looking back at the map pointing to things and muttering under their breath. Neither glanced at Gregor. They were giving him time to figure out what he wanted to do. He realized he had a choice and that was when he spoke.

"I...I don't know what to say." The words brought everyone back to reality. Luxa snapped back to normality and her hand reached out and grabbed Gregor's. He could feel her fear and anger in the way her hand trembled and shook in his. He stroked her fingers with his thumb. It seemed to comfort her some. Mareth and Claudius looked up at him, confusion written on their faces.

"Well we had hoped you would say yes, but I guess the wavering of your voice says the opposite. We would not be sending you alone. Obviously, you would have the best group with you. A group that will easily allow you to accomplish this goal. Maybe that will help with your decision." Gregor had known this and had never even intended to decline the offer. It was just the shock that for a moment had caused him to be confused,

"I'll do it. I assume you have my traveling companions and a plan for me."

"Oh yes of course. The plan is very simple." Claudius began. "We know where they have made up their base of operations and the easiest way in. The journey there will take two days flight time and will take you deep into the heart of spinner land. The area will be highly patrolled and secrecy is of the most importance. That is the most dangerous part of the mission and where it will most likely fail. If you can infiltrate the main area of the base there will be guards, but they can be easily dispatched. That will give you a clean shot to the leaders." He paused for a second looking at Gregor. Gregor was running the plan through his head and using his hands to see through it, picking it apart. "Do you follow what I said?"

"Yea, I understood everything and it sounded great. I assume you will have a map for me and my comrades to follow through these tunnels to find our way there. If not then the chances of us being seen and failing horribly will be very high."

"Of course we have a map for you Gregor," Mareth said reaching to the table and grabbing a small number of folded pages. He handed them to Gregor. "They also include the names of those joining you."

The pages crinkled in Gregor's hands as he unfolded them. He could feel Luxa trying to look over his shoulder to see them, so he turned to the stone chair at the table and sat down. He patted his lap and Luxa scurried over and sat on his lap wrapping her arms around him. The two looked at the detailed map. It pointed out the correct way to get to the main chamber that contained their targets. It also noted other tunnels that were abandoned and could be used for camp and those that had high occupancy. This would be very, very helpful.

"Where did you get these from, General?" Luxa asked of Claudius. Gregor had been about to ask Mareth the same question. Claudius looked back at them and smiled.

"We had the tunnels detailed from long ago, and some of our scouts were able to get us this information. It is up to date and very detailed. Gregor looked to Mareth for conformation and Mareth gave him the reassuring nod he needed. As he turned back to the map to look over it he saw Luxa was still staring at Claudius with disdain on her face. She did not trust what Claudius had told us.

"Luxa, leave it, please. Let's just see who's going with us." He said us hoping she would be on the list and hoping she would accompany him. He knew she wouldn't be but hope was his thing. The pages rustled as he turned them. There was a supply list and another map of the journey from Regalia to the spinner lands. The next page had the list of his comrades. He breathed in and held it there as he turned the page and read the names on the list.

Ripred, Perdita, Darmak, and Stanly. Gregor's breath sat in his lungs, for he could not release it. He knew he would black out and he didn't care. He knew only half the team that was traveling with him and he couldn't believe it. Why would they give him a team he didn't know? That he might not even trust.

"What is this?" Gregor said, his words angry, waving the page in front of him. He stood up gently placing Luxa on the chair before storming his way to the general. "You tell me this team is one I can trust and yet I don't know half of them! How can you pull this shit?!" Gregor rarely swore unless he got angry. And he was angry.

"Calm down, boy. They are trustworthy and strong."

Gregor was so angry he didn't care what they said. He could feel his anger and rage filling him again. But he had to control himself. He thought of Luxa behind him and he could sense her worry. He could also feel the fear emanating from Claudius. His thoughts of Luxa were stronger. He could see in his mind how she would react if he did anything. And his rage eased out of body. He could feel himself breathing heavy and felt his nails digging into his palms. Then he felt the strong arms wrapped around his body.

Gregor let his body go slack and the arms let him go. He turned and walked away to the wall, placing his hands and resting his head against it. His thoughts were clouded from his rage and he had no idea what he said. He had felt his emotions along with the others, but that was it. His actions were blank. Soft footsteps padded up behind him and Gregor turned hoping to see Luxa.

Instead the general was standing there his face fuming. Gregor had enough time to look him in the eyes before the punch hit him in the stomach. Gregor doubled over, winded. His feet were then kicked out from under him and he fell hard to the floor.

"You will never speak to me in those tones ever again. You will never tell me how to do my job or question my choices. Ever. Maybe a night or two in the dungeon will help you figure that out." He clicked his fingers and Gregor was dragged to his feet by two pairs of strong arms. He could see Luxa staring at the general in shock. He wanted to yell insults, but he was out of breath and could not catch it. He was being dragged back towards the door when Luxa started to run towards them yelling at them to stop. The general grabbed her violently and stopped her from running towards him.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her. I don't know what I said, but you probably deserved every last word of it. I won't do this mission without Luxa." The last sentence he said was cut off as the guards dragged him around the corner and down the hall. His feet dragged along the floor as he refused to walk. He could feel the pain from the guards hands digging into his limp arms. He flexed his muscles to loosen their grips which they did.

The familiar dungeon door awaited him. It was ripped open and he was thrown in head first. The stone door clanged shut behind him and he was encased in darkness. The darkness was so deep that nothing could be seen. But it was comforting to Gregor. The dark used to frighten him because it was when he was vulnerable. Anything could sneak up behind him and he could do nothing. But now he embraced the darkness and used it as a strength.

The echo returned to his ears and he saw the same small cell with no bed, no nothing. Just a cold stone floor. His stomach growled at him and he finally realized just how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything all day and now he felt the pit in his stomach. He had been hungrier many times. The jungle, his own home in the overland, and when he had been locked in this same damn cell by Solovet. His stomach let out another grumble and Gregor's echolocation picked up the cell again.

He sat back against the wall clicking away, seeing the same cell every time. It had been hours and his stomach had finally decided to shut up as it realized it was not going to be fed. His mind was wandering and he felt sick and tired from the boredom he was experiencing. The last time he was here he was fascinated by his newly acquired echolocation skills. Now it was just a cold cell with nothing for a boy with no energy to do.

Footsteps outside brought Gregor back to the reality of the situation. He sat up straight against the wall not wanting to show any weakness to whomever entered into his solemn abode. The key turned in the lock and the door was pushed open. The shadow was not of the general as Gregor had expected. It was of a woman carrying a package. She stepped into the room and pushed the door closed. The key ground in the lock and the door was closed.

"Who's there?" Gregor asked blindly forgetting about echolocation. He was surprised that someone would willingly lock themselves in here.

"Who do you think it is, stupid?" The voice was so familiar that Gregor rejoiced with happiness. He crawled in the direction of the voice and his hand landed on the soft silk of her clothing. "Luxa, what are you doing here?"

"One second. You might want to close your eyes." Gregor obeyed and suddenly a flash a light could be seen through his eyelids. He slowly opened them and saw to his amazement a lantern lit on the floor with Luxa sitting next to it. An open picnic basket was seated next to her. "I figured you would be hungry, so I had the cook make you something and snuck my way down here with Mareth's help. He had nothing to do what happened here. He tried to get the general to bring you back to sort it all out."

Gregor was listening to her as he pulled food from the basket. There was chicken and mushrooms, some steaming stew, and a loaf of delicious bread. Luxa sat with her back against one wall as Gregor filled the plate she brought with her for him. Once he had piled it high with all he thought he could manage he slid over to sit next to Luxa. Before he ate he brushed his hand along her cheek turning her to face him. He looked into her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her. She met him halfway and they shared another passionate kiss. "Thank you," Gregor said once they broke apart and then dove into the plate of food. Luxa shook her head and muttered boys under her breath. "I heard that."

Gregor was so full that he didn't think he would need to eat for another day or two. His head was in Luxa's lap and she was stroking his hair. It was so comforting to just lay there and not have to worry. But there was still one thing nagging him. "Luxa," he said quietly.

"What is it?" she returned with equal softness to her voice.

"What did I say to Claudius that was so bad?" He knew he didn't want to hear what he had said, but if he was to be able to take this mission he had to know.

"Well, to be honest, it was very nasty things. Despicable. You threatened his family, called him cowardly and silly and stupid, you told him that he did not deserve to be a general, but the worst thing you said was that you would kill him on the spot if he didn't let me go with you on the mission. That was when Mareth grabbed you. You were still shouting crude words at him and threatening the mission, telling him you wouldn't do it if I didn't come."

"So your saying I questioned his authority, threatened him and his family, shouted crude words, and called him a coward." Luxa nodded. "But I didn't say anything about the two unknowns in the group. That was why I had been mad."

"No Gregor. We all knew you were angered that I was not permitted to go with you. It was obvious. You consciously believed one thing but subconsciously believed another." Gregor understood her at once. His outward anger seemed directed towards Darmak and Stanly. It was unprovoked anger that was just masking how he truly felt.

"Well at least I meant one thing I said."

"What was that?" Luxa asked already thinking she knew the answer. She was already so used to Gregor that she could tell what was truth and what was lie. Most of what he had said was just rubbish that his rage had brought on. Only one thing had stood out as truth.

"That I wouldn't do this mission without you." Gregor said the words with his whole heart. He would not leave her behind at the castle. He could leave his parents and his sisters with the care of a hundred of the best soldiers in Regalia. Hell they could go back to the Overland. Vikus was always safe and he didn't give a gnawers ass about Howard. But he only trusted two others with protecting Luxa and that was Ripred and Aurora. Both of her bonds had to protect her no matter what and they would not because they had to but because they wanted to. It was the only way he would feel she was safe.

"I knew that already, stupid. Mareth did to. He had asked for the general to put me on the list, but he refused. He thinks I'll be safer here with massive walls protecting me. I would rather have two ragers who are stronger than any wall protecting me." She gave Gregor's strong bicep a squeeze and he flexed for her. She giggled like a little schoolgirl and then fell silent. Gregor sat up and looked her in the eyes. She looked back and whispered, "I love you, Gregor."

"I love you too, Luxa. I love you more than the sun and the sky."

It had been a few hours since Mareth had come back to get Luxa. He and Gregor had shared some kind words about the current situation and the goings of the castle. He learned that Vikus was asking the council to have him released from the dungeon, but they would not allow it after the general told them about his words. He was to stay until the General would let him out. And to tell the truth Gregor was fine with it. Luxa had left him the extra food after Mareth said the general had no plans to feed Gregor.

If he was to be in here for another day at least there had to be something he could do. Sitting on his as clicking his tongue was not an option though. The only thing that can be done in a twelve by twelve cell was workout and workout Gregor did. He stripped down to his fine silken underwear that the underlanders provided, and set his clothes aside. He tested the amount of weight he could put on his almost healed hand and found that he could put his full body weight on it.

There was no routine he had. He was going to go until he could not go any longer. There on the floor of the cell Gregor started doing pushups. His body rose up and down continuously in a steady rhythm. After 50 his arms were still feeling fine and his breathing hadn't even become labored. As he approached 100 his arms started to become sore. He could feel the muscles resisting, but he forged on. As he tried to push himself up on number 131 he fell to the floor. His face landed in the pool of sweat that had formed under him. He rolled to his back and started doing situps. "One, two, three..."

Gregor worked out hard. After each set of Pushups, situps, and squats he would rest for about ten minutes. Then he would repeat going till he fell to the was good to be back doing something active even if it wasn't anything to terribly difficult.

After his fifth set Gregor was wiped out and hungry. He ate and drank a small meal before pulling his pants on. He pushed his shirt into a pillow and feel into a deep and deserved sleep. His body was tired as was his mind and his dreams were subdued. There was nothing of actual body to dream about. It was all inconclusive, abstract thoughts. And Gregor did not mind it one bit.

He was awoken by the heavy footsteps outside his door. "Open it," a gruff voice said. Gregor jumped to his feet and pulled the shirt back on over his head. He stood right in front of the door and waited with his hands behind his back. The general would be very happy to see his prisoner happily fed and well rested instead of begging for food. The key ground in the lock and the door swung open. Let's just say that Claudius' face was one that Gregor would never forget.

"Hello there, General. How have you been?"

* * *

**I liked this one. Flushed out one character and added a crap ton of fluff. Gluxa forever muthatruckas. Review and PM me please if you have questions, concerns, or insight.**


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